IPM demands two states for Ijaws

The Ijaw Patriotic Movement (IPM) has appealed to the Federal Government to send a bill to the National Assembly demanding the creation of two additional states within the Ijaw ethnic nationality, saying that it will take governance closer to the people of the Niger Delta region.

The National President of IPM, Comrade Mislaw Ganren, who stated this in Yenagoa further noted that the call for the creation of the two additional states became necessary as Ijaw-speaking states in the country produce major revenue for the country through the large deposit of oil and gas.

He pointed out that the present geo-political structure whereby Bayelsa State is the only homogeneous Ijaw state has become outdated, calling on President Bola Tinubu to consider the creation of two additional homogeneous Ijaw states to be named Rivers Oil and Toru Ebeni states.

He however dismissed the notion that Nigeria at the moment does not need more states but insisted that the country can fully harness its heterogeneous nature if more states are created, adding that it would also reduce or eradicate the cry of the minority groups of being marginalized and their interest would also be protected.