Constitution review: CAN advocates Okun, Okigwe, southern Kaduna as new states

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked the national assembly to consider the creation of new states.

Joseph Daramola, general secretary of CAN, read out a list of the association’s demands at the national public hearing organised by the senate on the review of the constitution.

The hearing held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Thursday.

CAN also asked the national assembly to remove the immunity clause from the constitution, in order to make all Nigerians “equal before the law”, while also noting that the creation of new states will ensure “administrative impact”.

He listed some of the proposed states as “southern Kaduna, Adada from present Enugu state, Cross River north state, Okun state, Okigwe state, and Oke Ogun state”.

“Recommendations the body made include: gender equality; women empowerment through education and inheritance; equal opportunities in all social-political affairs; 18 years as the age of maturity and consent for marriage; federal structure and power devolution — confederation of independent regions or federation of states or regions; devolution and decentralisation of power and governance system through formal introduction of geo-political zones and regions, with clearly assigned roles,” Daramola added.

He also called for “constitutional recognition for traditional rulers and religious leaders, by strengthening their cultural and socio-religious leadership responsibilities, and constitutional backing for the operational decentralisation and recognition of law enforcement agencies”.

Daramola noted that CAN advocated “revenue allocation and sharing formula to be guided by the principles of sustenance and benefits, to sources of derivation on ratio of 70 percent retained by regions and 30 percent for the centre; maintaining the financial autonomy and independence of the judiciary; separation of the office of attorney-general from the office of the minister of justice; and proper constitutional definition of an indigene and residency rights”.