Stakeholders in Bayelsa State are demanded for the creation of Oloibiri State and constitutional
recognition of Niger Delta region in a forum organised by senators and the
state government to deliberate on the amendment of the 1999 constitution.
Our correspondent in Bayelsa
state gathered that the motive behind the town hall meeting was
to harmonise positions of the state on issues selected for amendment in the
constitution.
The meeting was facilitated by
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri representing Bayelsa West, Senator Emmanuel Paulker
(Central) and Senator Clever Ikisikpo (East).
But most stakeholders who
attended the meeting at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, submitted proposals agitating
for the creation of Oloibiri State.
According to the stakeholders who
argued for state creation, the new state should be carved out from Edo, Bayelsa
and Delta States.
But the Niger Delta Development
Monitoring Group argued that state creation should be backed up with measures
to reduce the cost of governance.
The National President of the
Group, Chief Nengi James, said the lawmakers should consider either retaining a
bicameral legislature with lawmakers sitting on part time basis or a full time
unicameral legislature.
James also made case for resource
control, true federalism and independent candidacy.
He said the amendment should
create a provision for a referendum in the constitution to enable Nigerians
decide on issues affecting their existence.
Our correspondent gathered that the senators would consider all the
submitted memoranda and present the common positions of the people to the
government on Wednesday.
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