As the agitation for creation of additional states in the South East heats up, fresh indications suggest that stakeholders in the region may have settled on Anim-Oma State as its preferred option following a closed-door meeting in Abuja last Thursday.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Information gathered from participants at the meeting, which held at the residence of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, shows that the proposed state would comprise Anioma in Delta State, the old Orlu zone in Imo State, and Ihiala Local Government in Anambra State with Orlu selected as the proposed capital.

But in a swift reaction, legislators representing Delta North senatorial district in the Delta State House of Assembly and chairmen of the nine local government areas in the district issued a unified and emphatic rejection of proposals suggesting the placement of Anioma State within the South-East geopolitical zone.

In a joint statement, the political leaders reaffirmed their full support for the creation of Anioma State but insisted that such a state must remain firmly within the South-South.

Daily Sun learnt that the meeting convened by the Deputy Speaker was intended to bring together all state creation movements in the South East to make their presentations and to help the region arrive at a single, unified choice before forwarding its position to the relevant authorities.

Although the session was originally meant to be exclusive to South East agitators, participants disclosed that Senator Ned Nwoko and a delegation from Anioma in Delta State were unexpectedly permitted to join the discussions. But despite initial surprise over their presence, deliberations continued.

It was gathered that after various presentations, the Deputy Speaker appealed to agitating groups to voluntarily step down overlapping demands so that the region could consolidate behind one proposal.

At that stage, Imo Senator, Osita Izunaso-led Anim State movement announced a merger with Senator Nwoko’s Anioma group, along with representatives from Ihiala, to form Anim-Oma State.

On the question of the capital, the Anioma delegation was said to have agreed to cede Asaba in favour of Orlu in Imo State, a position which Senator Nwoko reportedly affirmed.

However, the development did not go unchallenged as some participants raised concerns about a possible arrangement that could dilute the South East’s exclusive claim to the new state.

Questions were also raised regarding compliance with Section 8(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that any state creation request must carry the endorsement of two-thirds of elected representatives from the proposed area across all legislative tiers and local governments.

According to accounts from attendees, the Deputy Speaker intervened, stating that the necessary documents had already been submitted in line with constitutional requirements.

Kalu reportedly announced that the Anim-Oma proposal would be transmitted to the appropriate authorities as the consensus position of the South East, though he was reminded that the commitment for an additional state applied solely to the region.

The meeting is expected to reconvene today at the same venue for a formal vote on the Anim-Oma proposal.

•Delta North leaders kick

But Delta North leaders described the suggestions of merging Anioma with the South-East as “vehemently opposed,” “non-negotiable,” and contrary to the historical and cultural identity of the Anioma people.

The statement, endorsed by all elected representatives from Delta North, follows renewed national conversations and legislative engagements on the creation of additional states across the country.

According to the leaders, the resurgence of this national debate necessitated a clear and collective position to avoid misrepresentation of the aspirations of the Anioma people.

“Our quest for a distinct and autonomous Anioma State is not a fleeting political venture but a legitimate aspiration deeply rooted in history, championed by our revered forebears and leaders,” the signatories declared.

Describing the pursuit as a generational mission, they emphasised that the Anioma dream is anchored on cultural identity, language, administrative continuity, and the desire for accelerated development.

They reiterated that the envisioned Anioma State comprises the current nine local government areas of Delta North: Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North-East, Ika South, Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, Oshimili North, Oshimili South and Ukwuani, with Asaba as its capital.

This configuration, they stressed, aligns with the historical understanding and long-standing aspirations of past leaders who spearheaded the movement for Anioma’s recognition.

“The Anioma our fathers envisaged and which we support is the Anioma that is made up of the nine local government areas of Delta North with its capital in Asaba,” the leaders stated, noting that any deviation from this established configuration would misrepresent the true vision of Anioma’s founding advocates.

The most forceful part of the communiqué was the explicit rejection of attempts to link Anioma to the South-East. While acknowledging the ethnic and linguistic ties between some Anioma communities and the Igbo-speaking region, the leaders maintained that geopolitical alignment, administrative history and cultural evolution place Anioma squarely within the South-South.

“We make it unequivocally clear that we vehemently oppose any proposed move or merger with any part of the South-East geopolitical zone. Anioma people are historically, geographically and administratively aligned with the South-South. This position is deeply rooted in our heritage and is non-negotiable.”

According to them, forcing Anioma into the South-East would not only distort historical facts but also undermine the political and developmental trajectory pursued by the district over the decades.

They insisted that geopolitical identity is not determined solely by shared ethnicity but by administrative structures and regional evolution within the Nigerian federation.

Beyond rejecting the South-East proposal, the leaders pledged to “actively lobby and support every legitimate effort” toward securing the creation of Anioma State.

They described state creation for the region as a matter of equity and justice, arguing that Anioma people deserve a state of their own within the South-South just as other ethnic blocs within the region already possess.

“We are united in the belief that the creation of Anioma State is a necessary step towards fulfilling the political and developmental destiny of the Anioma people,” they said, assuring that they would deploy their collective mandate, political capital and institutional influence in the pursuit of this objective.