THE Senate Thursday said the National Assembly has not drawn a list of states to be created.
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The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Ayogu Eze made the clarification while addressing reporters in Abuja.
According to him, the National Assembly has received many requests for state creation and that their consideration has not begun.
He said: "There were allegations that the National Assembly has penciled down some states for consideration and creation, but expectedly, the names of the states they were sponsoring did not appear and people were quite anxious."
"I want to state categorically that there is no list of state creation that has been drawn by the National Assembly.
That matter is not being considered right now, but we hope that we will consider it in the life of the sixth National Assembly."
"If there is any list circulating somewhere, drawn by the Senate or the House of Representatives or the National Assembly as a joint body, there is no such list. What we are doing at the moment is that we are receiving requests and collating such requests.
There is no such list or whatsoever at this point to eliminate any request or include any, because we have not started the consideration of any requests."
"All the requests that have been made to the National Assembly are with our relevant Committees, that is, the Ad Hoc Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
These committees are husbanding these facts and keeping them for the opportune time when we start the considerations."
"Of course you know that based on Section 9 of the Constitution and other sections, there are provisions that must be met before states are created.
"We are going to assess all the requests before us before states are created. The issue is not before the National Assembly right now simply because we want to finish with the issue dealing with the elections" he added.
Speaking on the Presidential assent for the Constitution amendment to become law, the Senate spokesperson maintained that the appeal by the National Assembly on the ruling of a Federal High Court, Lagos was for the benefit of democracy.
"It is not an ego trip on the part of the National Assembly. It is something we feel we need to do for the benefit of our democracy.
"This is history that we are making and it is very important. We are not even moved by the aspersions that are been cast on the National Assembly but we are looking at the future", Eze said.
National Assembly yet to create states, says Senate (http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/19358.html)