State Creation: Itsekiri leaders write Senate Committee over exclusion of Warri State in proposed public hearing

The Itsekiri leaders, under the auspices of Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT, have written the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, querying the rationale behind the non-Inclusion of Warri State, as one of the proposed States to be considered for review in the zonal public hearing scheduled for Friday 4 - Saturday 5, July 2025 At Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom State.

In the petition dated June 26 and addressed to Deputy President of the Senate/Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, CFR, ILOT, expressed surprise at the omission of Warri State, despite fulfilling the criteria requested for submission of the memoranda.

The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, in the petition signed by its Chairman, Chief Edward O. Ekpoko and Member, Oti Andrew Agboghoroma, called on the Senate Committee, “to correct this obvious oversight, by including Warri State as one of the proposed states in the South-South region.”

The requisition, stated in parts: “RE: ZONAL PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REVIEW OF THE 1999 CONSTITUTION SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY 4 - SATURDAY 5, JULY. 2025 AT IKOT EKPENE

“- PROTEST AGAINST THE NON-INCLUSION OF WARRI STATE AS ONE OF THE PROPOSED STATES BY THE ITSEKIRI LEADERS OF THOUGHT

“The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought is a socio-political organization, which has acted as the mouthpiece of the Itsekiri people of Warri in Delta State since 1974.

“2. We refer to the above subject matter published in The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday June 24, 2025 at pages 28 & 29.

“3. In the said publication at page 29, under the heading State Creation Proposals, and in the South-South Column, the names of five (5) proposed states were listed, namely: Atlantic City State, out of Rivers State, Anioma State, Obolo State, out of Akwa-Ibom and River States, Toru-Ebe out of Delta, Edo & Ondo States & Ogoja State out of Cross Rivers State.

“4. To our surprise, our demand for Warri State to be carved out of Delta State was omitted. This is regardless of the fact that following your Committee's Call for a Memoranda & Proposal as published at page A16 of the Vanguard Newspaper of Monday July 29, 2024, we submitted our Memorandum, requesting among other things, the creation of a Warri State out of the present Delta State.

“5.  We complied with your request on Monday, the 2nd day of September, 2024, by submitting two (2) hard copies at your Secretariat in Room 3.8, Senate Wing, White House, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

“Furthermore, soft copies were sent electronically on 29th August, 2024 to info@sccr.gov.ng. Photocopy of the acknowledgement copy is attached and marked as Annexure 1. Also, attached herewith are two (2) copies of the said Memorandum for ease of reference.

 “6. Perhaps, this is an omission on the part of the Secretariat. We are by this medium urging your committee, to correct this obvious oversight by including Warri State as one of the proposed states in the South-South region.”

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