Additional state will bring development to South-East, not division – Imo monarch 

An Imo monarch and former Chairman, Orlu Council of Elders, Eze John Nwosu, has said that an additional State to the Southeast region will create development opportunities and not division.

He made the assertion at his palace while addressing journalists on the need for the region to come together with one voice and choose where the new State should come from.

The monarch, who is the traditional ruler of Isiokwu Ihioma Autonomous Community in Orlu LGA,  asserted that it was quite unfortunate that the Southeast zone is the only region in the Federation with the fewest States and that so many things had eluded the zone in that regard.

Eze Nwosu suggested that Anim State, which according to him is being widely accepted among others, should be considered for its wider spread.

The monarch explained that the name, Anim State, is an acronym coined out from Anambara and Imo with their first two initials.

“It is from Imo and Anambara that the other three States- namely, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi were created and nothing wrong if the two came together again to give the zone another State.

“On the other hand, Anioma State which is being championed by our brothers outside the zone, though I understand their plights but the call sounds abstract, Aba State, is being championed by one State, Abia, likewise Adada State, which is championed by Enugu.

“Orashi State is seeking to be carved out from Imo and Rivers, which is also outside the zone,” he noted.

He advised the people of the zone not to use the clamour for another State to cause division in the region but as means to advance development.

“Many things have eluded us, because revenue sharing, political appointments and others are basically shared according to the number of States each zone has.

“You can see how the Southeast zone has been shortchanged for a long time,” he added.

Eze Nwosu further pointed out that there was still a need for more than one State to be carved out within the Southeast region.

Additional state will bring development to South-East, not division – Imo monarch