68 Yrs After, Old Ogoja Province Demands for State As Jarigbe, Eteng, Reps Others Lobby NASS
By Judex OKORO
The clamour for Ogoja state has continued to gather momentum as Cross River North and Central National Assembly Caucus have demanded for the creation of a new state out of the present Cross River.
The re-echo for Ogoja state is coming barley 68 years after Abakaliki province comprising Obubra, Afikpo and Abakaliki divisions were carved pout out of old Ogoja province in 1956. Since then stakeholders from the north and central have made several representations to successive administrations requesting for Ogoja state to no avail.
Checks by THE BEAGLE NEWS revealed that there were twenty four provinces in Nigeria, before independence in 1960. But of the 24, 22 provinces have become full-fledged states, leaving out only Ijebu and Ogoja.
Struggle for the creation of Ogoja state
Findings by THE BEAGLE NEWS revealed that the agitation for the creation of Ogoja state started in 1956 when the old Ogoja province demanded for statehood. But it rather got balkanised into two more provinces of Ogoja (Ikom. Obudu and Ogoja divisions) and Abakaliki (Obubra, Afikpo, and Abakaliki divisions). Ogoja people also lost out in May 17, 1976 states creation under General Yakubu Gowon’s 12 states structure. Rather Cross River state was created from then South-East state by Justice Ayo Irikife.
In 1986, when General Ibrahim Babangida administration set up Political Bureau, the POgoja state agitators led by former Senate President, Joseph Ways, submitted memoranda. In 2011, the people of Ogoja, under Ogoja State Movement, sent in a memoranda to President Shehu Musa Yaradua requesting for the creation of Ogoja state with 21 local government areas.
Again, at 2014 National Conference with Justice Idris Kutigi as Chairman, echoes of state creation reverberated with Ijebu and Ogoja states taking the centre stage. At the national confab, delegates from Cross River submitted a memorandum to the committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government for the creation of Ogoja State from the present Cross River.
According to them, apart from Ogoja and Ijebu, all the other 22 provinces and their headquarters have since become states and capitals respectively. They pointed out that a memorandum for the creation of Ogoja State was first submitted to the National Assembly in February 2009. The 2009 memorandum was also submitted to the Committee.
In a statement signed by eight of the 10 delegates from Cross River and addressed to the Chairman, Committee on Political Restructuring, they said the creation of Ogoja State was long-overdue as it would promote the regional development of the economic activities of the region, promote interstate commerce, as well as cooperation and sharing of natural and human resources.
As 10th NASS commences 6th round of 1999 Constitution review
And in what could be described as an unending agitation for state’s creation, the 10th National Assembly has commenced the sixth round of review of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and has called for memoranda form the public, interest groups and critical stakeholders.
Areas billed for review include the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Security architecture, public revenue, fiscal federation, revenue allocation and judicial reforms. Others are electoral reforms, traditional institutions, gender-related issues, state creation and state access to mining as well as any other matter that would promote good governance and welfare of Nigerians.
Following the NASS review, Senator Kanu Agabi, SAN, led committee on creation of Ogoja had consulted widely thus resulting to a written document that was formally presented to the National Assembly lawmakers for onward consideration.
Agabi, represented by Hon. Justice Maurice Eneji, had noted that the creation of Ogoja state would certainly address the lopsided socio- economic and political imbalance within the old province. Other members of the committee include learned silk Jonny Agim, Dr. Dorn-Cklaimz Enamhe, Hon.Cletus Obun, Rted. Major Obi Odu and Dr. Pius Tawo.
C’ River NASS members take up the gauntlet
However, the NASS caucus of central and north senatorial districts led by Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, with Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, Hon. Peter Akpanke and Hon. Godwin Offiono are not resting on their oars with regard to Ogoja state creation.
Speaking when the committee for the Creation of Ogoja State paid them a courtesy visit in Abuja recently, the NASS caucus described the province as one of the biggest open towns and oldest province in the South-South geo-political zone that is yet to be made a state.
The lawmakers expressed their readiness to cooperate with members of the committee and constituents of the affected LGAs in ensuring that the long-standing agitation becomes a reality this time round, adding that they would leave no stone unturned to ensure the realisation of their life-long dream.
Speaking separately Jarigbe said: "The committee has made our work easy. We commend their efforts and determination in producing this document. We in the Senate and Reps would do our best in this regard."
Also speaking Sen. Eteng Williams, representing central senatorial district, said: "For us in NASS there is nothing like APC and PDP. We are one and united in this matter of Ogoja state creation. It is a Cross River state project and we are determined. We have lost a state and we would get it back. We cannot afford to lose again and it is a task that must be done."
On his part, Hon Peter Akpanke, representing Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku federal constituency, said: "I think God has destined this time for us to be in the NASS and for us to meet like this to fight for this project. I am sure we would overcome and I commend the committee."
Clarifying issues on Ogoja state creation in a current affairs programme on public radio in Calabar, Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe attributed the large size of Cross River as the reason why larger parts of the remained underdeveloped after 37 years, note that it was the reason he was championing the creation of Ogoja State from the present Cross River.
"I am fully involved and have endorsed the idea of Ogoja State. It is a well-intentioned endorsement that will take development to one of Nigeria's oldest province, still largely underdeveloped and marginalised in the scheme of things. Ebonyi is what it is today because it was carved out of Enugu and made a state. It has brought development to that part of Nigeria and there's the added advantage of bringing governance close to the people.
"As I speak, Ogoja is the only old provincial headquarters in Nigeria that has not been made a state capital and this is sad, I must say. We do not belong to the Middle belt because our people are in the South-South, our culture, our tradition; and we cannot be classified as belonging to the Middle because we are not.
Other stakeholders cry out
Lending their voices to state creation, a public analyst and a legal practitioner based in USA, Mr .Thomas Ogar, said there is urgent need for Ogoja state as the vast human and natural resources of Ogoja are not being harnessed to benefit the people of the area or Nigeria for that matter. The human and natural resources are wasting away.
Ogar said: “The economic, educational, and political gains made by the sons and daughters of this area are not significant enough to benefit the citizens, so they continue to suffer in silence and without a voice in their own country. This imbalance must change so that Ogoja people can engage and participate fully in our new democratic process. With the on-going constitutional review, the National Assembly and the Federal Government should embark on the immediate task of creating an Ogoja state during this legislative session.
“This bold step will remove the pains the Ogoja people have suffered in educationally, socially, emotionally, politically and economically over time. The current Cross River State is too large to undertake any meaningful economic development to benefit the Ogoja people. For Ogoja people, progress is standing still.
“Ogoja State should be created in this administration because of the political and economic benefits it will bring to the region as well as the nation as a whole. Ogoja state would become the agricultural home of the nation. The region is noted for fertile soil and agricultural produce such as yams, rice, cassava and cocoa grown in the area. State creation will bring immediate wealth, education, health, economic, and political resources to this neglected region.
“The area will see steady flow of goods, people and capital for economic development and growth. Better roads for commerce will be developed and maintained by the Federal Government and Ogoja State. Ultimately, this will alleviate poverty and the suffering of the Ogoja people
Participatory democracy requires that all citizens must be allowed to participate and contribute to the economic and political affairs of the nation, share in the benefits and burdens of the country. The creation of Ogoja State would give its citizens some participation and voice in the political process of the country.’
He called on the ruling party in Cross River State to support the creation of Ogoja State because the regional economy will benefit all, adding “this would encourage sound economic and political development in the region and ultimately give the people of Ogoja a voice they never had because equity, fairness, and justice demand this change.”
Also speaking, Chief Hart Modey, a chieftain in Northern Cross River state, said Ogoja state is overdue given the strategic role old Ogoja plays as a commercial hub and the fact that those who started the struggle for a state long after Ogoja started have gotten theirs.
According to him, as the largest and oldest province in the South-South geopolitical zone, Ogoja has all it takes to be a state and it will be an injustice if the request is not granted this time, commending committee for the creation of Ogoja state, all representatives from Northern and Central Cross River State in the national and other stakeholders who have so far been part of the struggle. He called on the national assembly to make history by granting the people of Ogoja State the request as it has remained a dream transcending generation
