The traditional ruler of Idumuje-Unor in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, His Royal Majesty Obi Charles Chukwunweike Anyasi III, has thrown his weight behind Senator Ned Nwoko’s push for the creation of Anioma State, insisting that the demand is long overdue.
Speaking on TVC’s Behind the Headlines programme, Obi Anyasi — a veteran broadcaster turned monarch — reaffirmed that the people of Delta North Senatorial District, commonly called Anioma, are Igbos and remain resolute in their quest for self-determination.
“Aniomas are statutorily Igbos,” he said, stressing that while debates about diverse ancestries persist, the people’s cultural and historical identity is clear.
The monarch traced the origin of the name Anioma to Sir Dennis Osadebay, who coined it from the initials of the four component groups — Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika and Oshimili — with “M” and “A” added “for poetic excellence.” Anioma, meaning the good land, spans about 6,000 square kilometres with an estimated population of two million.
On the agitation for state creation, he recalled that the demand was first tabled in 1954 at the London constitutional conference that produced the Lyttleton Constitution. Since then, he noted, the movement has gone through nine distinct phases with Osadebay as its pioneer advocate.
He welcomed Senator Nwoko’s current bill in the 10th Senate as a major boost. “This is a natural desire you cannot take away from the people,” he declared.
Responding to debates about whether Anioma should be located in the South-South or South-East geopolitical zone, Obi Anyasi observed: “If you ask me personally, I will say South-South. But with the current political realities, it probably would not work well. The mindset of the President seems to be about balancing the federal structure with the reality of five states in the South-East. If the current optics go for settlement in the South-East and we cannot change it, why don’t we accept it?”
He argued that Anioma State would enhance governance and development. “The dividends of democracy will come closer with Anioma State creation. We moved from Midwest to Bendel to where we are now. We should not fear the future. With what we have, we can seek self-determination,” he said.
The monarch also commended Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for spreading development across the state, describing him as “one of the best governors we have had,” but stressed that the aspiration for Anioma State remains alive because “desire is inexhaustible.”
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