Share ON Thursday, May 27, it will be the 54th anniversary of the creation of states by General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR. The question is, what is so special about 54th anniversary? The answer is that it is special because that was the biggest attempt to protect and guarantee the interests of the minorities in Nigeria. It was also a strike on the backbone of the four regions at that time in Nigeria. Regrettably, the objectives for the creation of states as announced by General Yakubu Gowon on May 27, 1967 have not been realized. I know there will not be celebrations on Thursday May 27 in the country for the challenges of insecurity that we face nationwide. But 54 years ago we had a leader that attempted to unite this artificial country and give us a sense of belonging. Let’s face it the country itself is in kaput. We live in constant fear, not sure of what will happen to us. It is so risky now to travel from one town to the other. The government seems helpless and the people are dejected. I do not think we have ever had it so bad. Today, most of the states are in a financial comatose state. Some states cannot even afford to pay the minimum wage. Most of their revenue are spent on providing vehicles and equipment to the Nigeria Police Force which they do not control. Most, if not all, are today bedeviled with insecurity in their domains which has hampered any meaningful development. Implementation of Capital Projects has been suspended if not delayed because of insecurity. Albeit creation of states was a laudable exercise for which we should be grateful to General Yakubu Gowon.