A member of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has said that about 40 requests for the creation of new states in the country are currently before the National Assembly.
Abe, who is the senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district, disclosed this yesterday during an interactive session with youths and students from the district, which was held in his country-home at Bera in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He expressed the hope that the creation of Bori State, being clamoured for by the people of Rivers South-East senatorial district would be actualised since the area has the human and material resources to sustain the new state if created.
Abe, who is also the chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) advocated for the enactment of a law that will make it possible for any state that cannot sustain itself to be merged with those that are economically strong, saying that most of the people agitating for creation of new states for them are relying on the resources from the Niger Delta region for survival.
The senator disclosed that about 73 percent of the nation’s resources are spent on recurrent expenditure, adding that about N7.5 trillion is the country’s internal debt owed to local contractors and others.
In his speech, Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Tele Ikuru commended Abe for interacting with the youths, describing his tenure in the upper chamber of the National Assembly as a revolution.