Case for Creation

Of Orlu State.
B y Senator H o p e U z o d in m a
Senator Hope Uzodinma represents Imo West (Orlu Zone)
Senatorial District in the National Assembly. In this interview
with FELIX NWANERI, he speaks on the agitation for additional
state by the South-East. Excerpts:

hiere are renewed calls for state creation especially by the people of
the South-East; do you think that is possible at this point in time?

"

The sixth National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria laid the framework for
the creation of additional states in Nigeria. Many cultural and pressure groups
submitted requests for the creation of additional states. However, there was a
consensus that an additional state should be created from the South-East.
This is because South-East is the only region, amongst the six geo-political zones of
Nigeria with only five states. As we are aware, the constitution confers equality among
the various states and inherently on the regions. It is on record that the South-East has
continued to b e marginalised in almost all sectors, partly due to this fact.

Senator Hope Uzodinma

It is on record that since 1999, South-East has received the least allocation in the
national budget. The people of the zone are underrepresented in almost all sectors of
national structures. For instance, while the North-West region has 21 senators in the
Senate, The South-East has only 15 senators. From the foregoing, it is my conviction
that the South- East should have an additional state and for me, that proposed state is
Orlu State from Orlu Zone in Imo State.

But there are agitations by other states in the South- East for the proposed
new state to be carved out from them. How will the leadership of the zone
reconcile this and present a common bid?

You will recall that Orlu is the third largest city

in Nigeria with an estimated population of
about 2 million people. Orlu senatorial zone
with 12 local government areas has to her
credit enormous potentials to sustain itself as
a state. It has played m ajor roles in the
integration, political, and econom ic growth
of the nation.
There is no gainsaying the fact that several
indigenes of Orlu senatorial zone have made
im m e a su ra b le c o n trib u tio n s to w ard s
educational and political growth of Nigeria.
Som e of the prominent citizens of Orlu
descent past and present include but not
limited to the late Dr K. O. Mbadiwe (man of
timber and calibre), a foremost nationalist
who held several ministerial positions in
N ig e r ia i n c l u d i n g b e i n g t h e o n l y
A m b a s s a d o r E x t r a o r d i n a r y a n d
Plenipotentiary. K.O., as he was fondly
called, in the early 1950s strongly promoted
the African Insurance Company, one of the

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Magazine

first indigenous insurance firms in the

country; Mbonu Ojike. described as the arch
exponent of the NCNC doctrine and
manifesto and apostle of boycott all
boycottables, onetime Minister of Finance,
Eastern Region and leader of the NCNC and
th e founder o f African D evelopm ent
Corporation (ADC), a pioneer indigenous
investment agency in Nigeria, is also from the
zone.
Others were Dr B.U Nzeribe, former Deputy
Speaker of the House of Representatives in
the First Republic and a one-time vice
presidential candidate of the Great Nigerian
Peoples Party (GNPP). Mention must be
made of Chief Collins Obi; His Majesty Eze
Patrick Acholonu, a foremost Nigerian
Senator and traditional ruler; Mr. R.I Uzoma,
an illustrious Orlu son and distinguished
Minister of Education in the former Eastern
region. The district is also the home of the
Iron and Steel politician, S en ator, Arthur
Nzeribe; Chief Achike Udenwa, former

Governor of Imo State; the Obiohas, the late

Dick Tiger Ihetu, a one-time World light
heavy weight boxing champion to mention
but a few.

But p erso n a litie s alon e do not

determine the viability of a state. Other
factors, especially natural resources
play a major role. How viable would the
proposed Orlu State be if created?
The senatorial zone is the permanent site for
the Imo State University Teaching Hospital,
an international m arket, and various
industries. Along with the industries and
international market, the area abounds with
several resources which attract investors from
all parts of the country as well as other parts of
the world, all of which will not only sustain the
proposed state but also make it an investors
paradise.
Besides, geological studies have revealed
vast oil and gas reserves in the area while