Senator Ned Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North in the national assembly, has noted that the push for Anioma State creation has got a boost as more senators have backed it.
Speaking with Journalists on Wednesday on the latest development about the bill, Senator Nwoko, disclosed that other Senators from Delta, South East and other stakeholders’ have lent their support for the creation of Anioma state to correct what he described as the marginalisation of South East geo-political zone.
According to him, the creation of the Anioma state would be in the position to increase the population of the Ndigbos, increase the land mass of the people as well as increase the resource base of the people of Ndigbo.
Recall that a bill to alter the 1999 Constitution as amended to create Anioma State from the present Delta State was read for the first time in the Senate on July 2nd.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999( Alteration) Bill, 2024( SB. 481 was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko.
The bill seeks to alter three sections of the 1999 constitution, to delete the word 36 and replacing it with the word 37 to accommodate the new state and to insert the word Anioma, immediately after Delta in the list of states contained in the Constitution.
Senator Nwoko’s bill is pushing for the creation of Anioma State aimed at reorganizing the nine local government areas currently in Delta North, just as he stressed that the South-East geopolitical zone currently has five states, unlike its counterparts, except for the North- West, which has seven states.
The Senator explained that his colleagues from Delta State, Senators Edeh Dafinone, APC, Delta Central and Joel Onowkpo Ewomazino, APC, Delta South as well as Senators from other States and Stakeholders are supporting the move for the creation of Anioma state.
“We have the two senators from the Delta South and Delta Central, Sen.Joel-Onowakpo Thomas and Sen.Ede Dafinone that support the creation of the state, for me that is a big support," he said.
“I have gotten support from most of the senators from the south east as well and I know that I will get support from across the country.”
“The Izu Anioma,which is the umbrella group of all Aniomas’ are saying we want it, the Ikpe Anioma says we want it.”
Nwoko who dismissed report by a group alleging that he did not consult wildly before presenting the bill for the creation of Anioma state for first reading, said the call for creation of Anioma state was timely and has to happen for various reasons.
According to him, the eventual creation will address years of concerns, challenges of Ndigbo in Nigeria, adding, “The most important one is that there is the urgent need to address the injustice,the years of crying of marginalisation by Ndigbo generally.
“It is a huge population in Nigeria, but they only have five states, and so, it will make six states of Ndigbo.
“It is a very long fight, for the quest for Anioma has taken 50 years from the time of Dennis Osadebe.
“There may not be many states created in Nigeria under this dispensation, but certainly, there is an urgent need to create one to address the imbalance.
“It is hoped that when it is done it will assuage the cries of the Igbos because since after the war there has been so many cries of been marginalised of injustice.
“So it is only equitable that it is done because it will deal with the crisis, the killings the violence, the seat at home issues among other issues.”
Senator Nwoko who noted that there was the need to bring a lasting solution to issues in the region, said, “So we are looking at finding the solution to crisis, you don’t creat a state for the fun of it, no, you creat a state to address a particular issue of concern.
“We have a president who is determined to right wrongs of the past,because it is important to do so and the government want to solve the problem of the south east.”
Also recall that the Leadership of Ukpe Anioma Progressive Association, (UAPA), had given its support to Senator Ned Nwoko over the creation of Anioma state as the sixth state of the South East geopolitical zone.
At a meeting held in Agbor, Ika South local government area, Delta state, they hailed the courage and wisdom of the Senator in championing what they described as the noble course which was generously debated along with other burning issues concerning the Anioma region and vowed to do everything within their power to encourage him on.
The National Coordinator, Chief Alex Ikpeazu, flanked by other Senatorial leaders: Dr Emeka Okolie, Ben Enwose-Williams, Dr Chris Ugoh, Chief Joe Nwaoyor, Chief Gabriel Ohai, Chief Fred Okoruwe, Chief Alfred Obuseh, Vera Nwanodu Adesotu, Stella Bardi and Chukwuma Dafe, called on all their sons and daughters to overwhelmingly support this historic opportunity.
They said since the National Assembly is desirous of correcting the injustice meted to the south east geopolitical zone with only five states as against the six states in all other geopolitical zones, the need to take advantage of the good national intention and ensure that Anioma becomes the beneficiary cannot be overemphasized.
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