Hundreds of thousands of Anioma youths, women and men under the aegis of Coalition of Anioma People in Support of the Bill for Anioma State Creation have held a road walk rally to Government House Asaba to intensify the clamour for creation of Anioma State from the present Delta State.
The people from the nine local government areas of Delta North Senatorial District as well as the Igbanke area of Edo State, who carried various placards with inscriptions, called for greater unity, cooperation and support from all the critical stakeholders in the area to make the Anioma State creation achievable under the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Various leaders took turns to make their agitations known to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Johnson Erijo , reaffirming their demand for Anioma State and its zoning to the South-East.
The mammoth agitators, buttressed that they are Igbo people ancestrally, culturally and linguistically, hence their demand for the Anioma State to be zoned to the South East geopolitical zone as the 37th state in Nigeria .
Among the leaders that led the Coalition to Government House Asaba included Ofochi Benjamin Atagana Esquire for Ukwuani youths, Ayo Ashiedu for Aniocha North, Kingsley Kainebi for Ika North East and Chief Jude Ogbekile for the Igbanke community.
While presenting the original copies of their demands to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori , Ofochi Atagana Esq appealed for the backing of President Bola Tinubu and the state governor for Anioma State creation which he said was long overdue .
The Coalition demands in parts read, ”We, the members of the Coalition of Anioma People in Support of the Bill for the Creation of Anioma State, drawn from across the 9 Local Government Areas of Delta North Senatorial District,
to wit, Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, and Ukwuani (hereinafter referred to as ‘Anioma’) do hereby request as follows: We are legitimate indigenes of Anioma, to wit, Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika, and Oshimili.
”We are ancestrally, culturally and linguistically Igbo.
”That in the exercise of our rights as guaranteed by Article 20 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, we have decided to support the Bill for the creation of Anioma State in the Southeast, thereby, excising our people and land from the existing Delta State and the South South Geopolitical Zone.
”We believe that our political, economic and sociocultural interests will be more advanced and protected in the Southeast to which we have affinity.
”We believe that having coexisted with our good neighbours, the Urhobo, the Isoko, the Ijaw, and the Itsekiri from our days in Western Region, Mid-West Region, Bendel State, and Delta State, the time has now come for us to have a State of our own and reunite with our kith and kin in the Southeast, where we ancestrally, culturally and linguistically belong.
”We are confident that having Anioma State and Delta State as neighbours will not hinder the advancement of the peoples of both States, rather it will enable both States to exist independently but cooperatively, especially in the areas of their comparative advantages.
”In view of the foregoing sir, we appeal to you to use your good office to support the Bill for the creation of Anioma State”
Also submitted to the Delta State Governor was the position of the Igbanke people who clamoured to be included in the Anioma State creation, which according to them, will be in the South East geopolitical zone,saying that they are Igbo people who were wrongly included in Edo State.
Addressing the Coalition, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Johnson Erijo said his administration is not opposed to the creation of Anioma State, provided the demand is pursued strictly in line with due constitutional processes.
He said , ” The government remained firmly committed to democratic choice, the rule of law and the expressed will of the people.
According to him, the agitation for Anioma State was neither misplaced nor improperly articulated and deserved sincere consideration.
He stated further, “If the people are in agreement as to the Anioma they desire, there should be no room for dissenting voices’
”The process was clearly outlined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and involved the submission of petitions and memoranda to the National Assembly, followed by legislative consideration and the conduct of a referendum”
He explained that such a referendum would cover all Anioma-speaking local government areas, Aniocha North and South, Oshimili North and South, Ika North East and Ika South, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East, as well as other interested enclaves, including Igbanke in Edo State.
He assured the protesters that once a referendum was conducted and the majority of the people expressed their desire for Anioma State, their decision would be respected.
