A group, Bori State Movement, has petitioned President Goodluck Jonathan over the omission of Bori State from the list of proposed states recommended by the just concluded National Conference.
The President and founder of the group, Senator Cyrus Nunieh, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, said the people of the proposed state were surprised that the state was omitted from the list after he said it had met the requirement as contained in Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution.
He said the clamour for the proposed state superseded other demands for state creation among the various agitators in different parts of Nigeria.
He said the group had also sent copies of its petition to the Senate President, David Mark; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; and the Chairman of National Conference, Justice Idris Kutugi.
He said it was wrong for the management of the conference to claim that it didn’t receive the demand asking for the creation of the proposed state.
He said the creation of Bori State “will terminate or reduce the marginalisation of the Ogoni people in Ogoni land and other areas in the proposed Bori State and bring government nearer to the people and for ensuring permanent security in these areas.”
According to him, “Nigeria wants peace, unity and development not war or arms. Bori State is for unity, peace and development through dialogue not war or bloodshed. The demand for creation of Bori State is for promotion of unity, peace and development in Bori State.
“The major requirement for creation of states in Nigeria is viability. Bori State when created will be the most or one of the most viable states in Nigeria.”
