There have been clamours for the creation of more states in Nigeria. These are not unconnected with the incidental development effects and the arbitrary manner various states were created in the past. Again, for political reasons, some interests yearn to be carved out of larger states. While the agitations for state creation remain the rights of any group, there is the need to focus properly on the proposed Adada state.
Adada is the oldest yet to be realised demand for creation in Nigeria. It was first made in 1983 by Yunusa Kaltungo, a federal lawmaker from Bauchi State, as a result of what he perceived as imbalance in state creation in the country, especially in the South-East. Then in 1996, the same request was represented to the Mbanefo Panel on State and Local Government Creation and Boundary Adjustment. However, for obvious reasons, Ebonyi State was created, making states in the South-East five.
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Another demand for its creation was in 2005 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo convened a confab to address salient political issues in the country. The aftermath of that political reform led to the unanimity to create an additional state in the South-East. Adada then received general acceptance as standing out in the South- East.
For its fruition, the South- East caucus of the National Assembly, under the then Senate President Ken Nnamani, constituted a 10-man committee to look into the nagging state creation matters in the region. Suffice it to say that while the demand for the creation of Adada state was being sustained, there were subsequent demands for state creation across the federation.
Adada has been consistently popular because it is densely populated, economically viable, and the homogeneity of its people. Nsukka, particularly, is the oldest and biggest local government in Nigeria. It was a district headquarters, and the only of such yet to be a state capital.
Again, the choice of Adada is to effect internal political balance in the South-East. Structurally, there are two political blocs in the zone: north and south. The southern part now has Abia, Anambra and Imo, while the north has Enugu and Ebonyi. Externally, Adada will also balance the state structure in Nigeria as South-East has the least states (five) in the country.
If the cardinal reason for creation of states is to enhance even development, then Adada stands out most prominently as the very next state to be created out of the South-East geopolitical zone, being the least developed area among all the requests from there, despite its great human and economic potentials. All it needs is also a state status to be able to stand on its feet, pull in resources and synergise them with internal human and economic potentials to soar.
In terms of agriculture, the proposed state has abundant fertile land for commercial farming. Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area has the most fertile land and water bodies in the South-East. It also houses Ada Rice and the World Bank project on rice production. With effective harnessing of rivers Adada, Amayi, Ubene, Oshenyi and Obina through irrigation, all-year-round farming will be guaranteed. There are also NALDA Farm in Agu Ukehe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area; Enugu State Irrigation Farm at Ete, Igboeze North and Okpuje Federal Piggery project. Adada’s potentialities also cut across favourable land for the production of yam, cassava, maize, beans, cashew, palm oil and other cash crops.
Its tourism potential is unequalled. It is blessed with abundant lakes, springs and waterfalls. With the dwindling nature of oil, tourism is becoming a major source of wealth globally.
Adada also has many oil fields at Nsukka, Igga and Ukpatu in Uzo-Uwani and Ehalumona. In fact, Adada has the highest commercial quantity of gas deposits in Africa, located at Ikem, Eha-Amufu, Eha-Alumona, down to Uzo-
In sum, Adada is more viable than many existing states today because its wealth is multifaceted.
As a proof that there are no dissenting voices in the proposed state, the Enugu State Government created the Adada State Actualisation Committee with the mandate of making this request a reality. This is unlike other requests that do not have the support of their mother states. Further to that, the Enugu State House of Assembly, on April 24, 2008, passed a resolution supporting the creation of Adada.
This is, therefore, a clarion call for expedited action towards the creation of Adada state.
Mohammed Abba wrote from Damaturu
