Bayelsa State has called for the creation of 25 additional local government areas, citing overpopulation and the need for more administrative units beyond the current eight.
This was part of a broader proposal presented at the South-South Centre A public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution, held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa on Saturday. The session was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review.
Presenting the state’s position, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN), said some existing LGAs have over 150 communities, necessitating their subdivision. He emphasized that the state has the financial capacity to fund the proposed LGAs, which were earlier approved by the state’s House of Assembly under Section 8(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Bayelsa also advocated for major constitutional reforms, including:
-
Implementation of fiscal federalism,
-
Establishment of state police,
-
Electoral reforms to strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
-
Judicial reforms,
-
Review of the exclusive and concurrent legislative lists, and
-
Greater local government autonomy.
On resource control, the state proposed that federating units should have full ownership of both onshore and offshore resources, while remitting 40% in taxes to the federal government and retaining 60%.
Dambo emphasized that the creation of state police would help states better address security challenges, stating that Nigeria was “ripe” for decentralized policing in the spirit of true federalism.
Governor Douye Diri, speaking at the hearing, said constitutional reform is essential for democracy to evolve and better reflect the needs of citizens. He urged that historical injustices, especially in resource allocation and local government creation, be addressed.
According to Diri, “Our demands are rooted in the quest for a federation that is genuinely just, equitable, responsive, and committed to the development of all states, particularly the Niger Delta.”
Representatives of the Delta and Edo State governors, Deputy Governor Sir Monday Onyeme and State Attorney General Samson Osagie respectively, were also in attendance and expressed support for the review process.
Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee (South-South Centre A) and House Majority Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, assured that all submissions would be thoroughly reviewed and presented before the full committee and later to the House.
Dignitaries present included Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa, traditional rulers such as King Alfred Diete-Spiff and King Bubaraye Dakolo, and other stakeholders from Bayelsa, Delta, and Edo.
