Governor Peter Mbah has called for the creation of an additional state in the South East to bring the region on par with other geopolitical zones.

Mr Mbah also called for a rotational presidency and state police to give every part of the country a sense of belonging, as well as to secure the nation better.

The governor made the call on Thursday in Enugu, when he received members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment, who were on a courtesy visit to him at the Government House.

The committee’s visit was ahead of the regional public hearing on the constitution amendment scheduled for Friday.

“We have advocated fervently that there is need for states to create state police services, just as you have the federal police, but with defined jurisdictions and operational parameters.

“We think that this is overdue and there is no be better time for that than now, given the fragilities we have in our various communities.

“The state police will be a truly welcome development in our constitution. We also believe that since the South-East is the only zone with five states in the country, this should be corrected during this process of amendment,” Mr Mbah said.

He added that the idea of a rotational presidency was also important.

Earlier, Senate deputy chief whip and leader of the delegation, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, said the committee was in the state to get the inputs of the people of the South-East into the constitution amendment process.

“It goes without saying that the 1999 constitution has received a lot of criticism from Nigerians, including that it is the product of military dictatorship.

“We pray that this engagement will afford us, the people of the South-East, the opportunity to right some wrongs as a result of the position of the 1999 constitution.

“People of South-East are crying foul that we are being marginalised in so many areas, particularly as it relates to the number of states, juxtaposing the same with other geopolitical zones of Nigeria,” Mr Nwebonyi said.

(NAN)