By SADIQ ABUBAKAR , Maiduguri –
Movement for the Creation of AMANA State out of present Adamawa State has petitioned the Senate Committee Public Hearing on Constitutional Amendment, calling on the National Assembly to create a new state.
The group claimed that there is a breach of trust on the part of the Nigerian nation, which promised to keep the area as a distinct entity after it voted to join Nigeria in a UN-conducted plebiscite on February 11, 1961.
The group’s leader, HRH Alhaji Sali Bello Dan Amar Mubi, stated this on Friday during the 2-day Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria held at the Mohammed Indimi International Conference Center, University of Maiduguri on Friday .
He said the Nigerian government, represented by the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and other government representatives, pledged that the area would remain a distinct entity as a province or state within the Nigerian nation.
The group also claimed that the capital city of Mubi would remain equal to other capitals such as Kano, Katsina, and Ilorin.
However, both promises were breached since 1967 when the first 12 states were created in Nigeria.
Amar said, “We came here as a delegation not to beg or just try to plead for the creation of an AMANA State, rather we are here to demand for the correction of historical injustice done to an area that suffered injustice and a breach of a solemn promise by the Nigerian State.”
The group posited that they have fulfilled all the criteria for the creation of a state, including population, land mass, economic potentials, and sustainability.
Amar added, “The AMANA State movement has been the most consistent in the history of Nigeria, dating back to May 1967 when the first set of 12 states were created in Nigeria.”
The proposed AMANA State would comprise areas from Adamawa State and Una Chiefdom of Borno State.
The group believes that the creation of AMANA State would address the historical injustice and promote development in the region.
Addressing the Senate directly, the Elder Statesman leading the delegation said, “May you be the instrument God will use to correct this historical injustice.”
He urged the Senate and National Assembly members to write their names in gold by correcting this gross historical injustice.
The statement noted that the agitation for AMANA State has been ongoing since 1967, with requests presented during every state creation exercise, including during military regimes.
The group is confident that the current Senate and National Assembly will do the right thing and create AMANA State.
