By Charles Onyekamuo in Onitsha

The South East geographical zone of the country deserves the creation of an additional State to keep it at par with other zones in the country a Federal lawmaker has said.

The member representing Idemili North/South Federal Constituency, Anambra State in House of Representatives, Charles Chinwendu Odedo who canvassed this view in an interview with ThisDay however pointed out that most states in the country as presently constituted are not viable.

The necessity of an additional state in the South East he emphasised, will make for fairness, equity and justice considering that federal allocations, recruitment into federal civil service, the military and para-military  organisations as well as representation in the National Assembly are done through the states, and the south East in spite of its huge population with only five states is grossly short-changed.

One additional state he also canvassed, will help in addressing the lack of development and high level of unemployment in the zone, adding  that though there are now clamours for Orashi, Njaba, Adada and Etiti states to be created out of the zone; whichever amongst them is carved out at last would be a solution to addressing the palpable imbalance.

He noted that stakeholders from the zone which included the five state Governors, the Deputy Senate President who is the chairman of the constitution review committee in the Senate as well as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives are working on what state to be created without acrimony.

On the creation of more local governments in the country, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) member said the thinking of the National Assembly is that every state would determine with the introduction of fiscal federalism, the number of local governments they want and share whatever it gets from the federation account among the councils it created.

He further made case for the creation of one additional federal constituency from Anambra central senatorial zone to correct the imbalance where Anambra North and South senatorial zones have four federal constituencies and the central has three.

The new federal constituency he said should be created out of Idemili North and South federal constituencies because they are very populous with over 250,000 registered voters- the highest number of registered voters in Anambra State.