Bill to create new state passes first reading

____A bill to create Ijebu State out of Ogun State has scaled first reading in the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday.

The bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Michael Bamidele and sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel representing Ogun State, aims to establish Ijebu as an independent entity.

_____The bill is titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth 1 Alteration) Bill, 2024 (Creation of ljebu State)” .

Following its introduction, Senate President Godswill Akpabio advanced the bill for first reading.

This marks the beginning of a legislative journey that will involve several stages of discussions and evaluations before a final decision is made.

____Advocates of creating new states argued that such changes could lead to more effective governance, enhanced economic opportunities, and better political representation.

If approved, Ijebu State would have its own administrative structures, separate from Ogun State.

____Recently, the Senate has also been exploring other state creation initiatives, including a proposal to create Ogoja State from Cross River, the formation of a new Oyo State, and renaming the current Oyo State to Ibadan.

This is part of efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution, as no state has been created since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.