By Ogbueshi Godfrey Odogwu
Director General, Technical Committee Secretariat on the Creation of Anioma State
The House of Representatives Constitution Amendment Committee is currently sitting in Enugu to deliberate on critical national issues, one of which is the long-standing demand by Ndi Anioma for a state of their own.
Only two weeks ago, the same demand was passionately presented at the Senate public hearings held in both Enugu and Ikot Ekpene.
The struggle for the creation of Anioma State is not new, it is as old as I am. In fact, it began in 1954, the very year I was born, when one of Anioma’s most illustrious sons, Chief Dennis Osadebay, submitted a formal request to the Colonial Office in London for the creation of a West Niger Province, carved from the then Warri and Benin Provinces.
Since that historic moment, there have been no fewer than eight documented attempts, across both military and civilian administrations, to actualize this vision.
These efforts spanned the years 1975, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1999, and 2014. Notably, the 2014 National Conference under the Goodluck Jonathan administration recommended the creation of Anioma State.
This makes Anioma’s quest for statehood the longest-standing agitation for state creation in Nigeria’s political history, yet it remains unfulfilled.
So I ask: Why has this glaring injustice, this persistent denial of self-determination to the Anioma people, been allowed to persist for over seven decades?
It is a dream that eluded both my grandfather’s and father’s generations. But I am determined that it will not elude mine, or the generations of Anioma children yet unborn.
At a time when hope seemed to wane among our people, God, in His infinite wisdom, raised a courageous and visionary leader from among us, Senator Ned Nwoko.
Through unwavering commitment, rare political will, and deep personal sacrifice, he has rekindled our collective aspiration.
Senator Nwoko, representing Delta North, has taken this historic mandate further than ever before. He has successfully sponsored a constitutional amendment bill for the creation of Anioma State, guiding it through both the first and second readings in the Senate.
We now stand at a pivotal moment. This week, we present our case before the House of Representatives at the ongoing public hearing in Enugu. We believe our argument will strike a chord in the conscience of the Honourable Members of the 10th National Assembly, prompting them to right a historical wrong and grant Ndi Anioma their long-deserved state.
The benefits of Anioma State are too numerous to list in this message, but one thing is certain: its creation will usher in a new era of development, inclusion, and pride for our people.
To my fellow Ndi Anioma, I urge you, remain united, resolute, and unshaken in this just cause. The signs of victory are near. I see the silver lining. I hear the echoes of celebration in the distance.
Long live Ndi Anioma.
Long live Anioma State.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
