You will be right if you say that the only reason we have a plethora of agitations for new states is that Anioma State movement has taught other segments of Nigeria what it means to be single-minded about what one believes in. But even at that, most of the other agitations for new states come nowhere close to Anioma’s compelling case. The reason is simple. The agitation for the creation of Anioma state is not a passing fancy. It is rooted in conviction. A quest that began in the early 1950s, Anioma has come to assume a life of its own. If the agitation has endured and remains enduring, it is because those behind it have a clear understanding of who they are and where they want to be. The driving force is that of shared identity. When a people are denied the opportunity to fully realize their identity, they are not likely to go to sleep until they assume their rightful place in the scheme of things. This struggle defines the Anioma agitation.
As a people, Nigerians are given to making a fad or fancy of anything and everything. That is why howlers have poured into the public space to cheapen a noble idea such as agitation for more states. Regardless of the show that is being made of what is supposed to be a serious exercise by certain opportunists, the Anioma agitation for a state of its own remains unassailable. Those behind the quest are articulate. Their arguments are rooted in logic and common sense. They are equally supported by facts and figures. So far, they have been able to advance a strong argument that borders on the national benefit of the proposed state, its scientific and logical underpinnings as well as its overall impact on federal balance.
In all this, we must give credit to Senator Ned Nwoko for his focus and sense of purpose. The senator is not building castles in the air. He is focused on what is possible and what is beneficial. In doing this, he has consulted. He has interacted. He has interfaced; and he has been able to break barriers. Today, all the components of Delta North senatorial district have bought into the idea of Anioma State. Even Anioma communities in Edo State have joined the Anioma train.
They want to go along with their kith and kin in Delta state in the march to Anioma kingdom. Even perceived dissenting voices like Ndokwa Neku Union initially driven by lack of understanding have been made to see reason. The movers of the agitation have been able to push Anioma out of the realm of politics. That is why the endorsement of the proposal cuts across political divides. The quest is supported by all segments of the geographical territory that constitute the proposed state. A testament to this can be seen in the seamless manner in which the Anioma case was handled during the public hearings that took place in Ikot Ekpene and Enugu. Anioma people spoke with one voice.
Only recently, the Odu Oma Club of Nigeria with headquarters in Asaba cleared the air on the misgivings in certain quarters about the grouping of Anioma as a south east state when created. The gist from Odu Oma Club is that Anioma territory has always been part of the larger Igbo enclave until their wrongful excision by the colonial powers. The argument that River Niger forms the natural boundary between the east and west of the country was faulted by the Club as the same River was not used as the boundary in the demarcation of northern and western regions of the country. Besides, geopolitical grouping is no more than an academic exercise as every state is autonomous. None controls the other. Anioma state, if grouped as a south east state, will mind its business from Asaba while Abia, for instance, will continue to mind its business from Umuahia.
But economic minds are not even looking at geography. They are looking at the economic gains that will be made if Igbos on both sides of the Niger are integrated. I reasoned in this Column on 23rd June, 2024 that inclusion of Anioma in the south east will be a sensible thing to do. I had partly written then:
“With Asaba, sprawling on daily basis as a destination of choice for investors, the natural nexus that exists between it and Onitsha, Nigeria’s seat of commerce, will become enhanced. In fact, Asaba and Onitsha working together in the area of economic integration will bring about accelerated development that will benefit both sides of the Niger. Already, Onitsha, the city that Chinua Achebe described as the gift of the Niger, is a preeminent economic hub for commerce and industry. Asaba is gradually tapping from the economic potentials that Onitsha offers. Integrating Anioma into the south east will enhance the natural economic advantages that both cities are endowed with.
If any form of distance ever existed between Igbos of the East and their brothers across the Niger, it is the fact that the latter were goverened and administered from the western part of the country. Thus, rather than looking eastwards, they were forced by circumstances to look westwards. Over time, this has coloured and tainted their imagination. The unfortunate outcome is that the east, even as close as it is to them, sounds distant. Their inclusion in the south east will take care of this long standing anomaly.”
This position remains as fresh today as it was then.
Beyond economy and geography, all the arguments around the creation of Anioma state are compelling. They are devoid of fancies and fantasies. It is therefore little wonder that the idea is receiving positive acclaim, both in the National Assembly and outside of it. Now that agitation for state creation has become an all-comers affair, the National Assembly Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution should endeavour to separate the wheat from the chaff. Pretentious agitations should not be allowed to water down what is supposed to be a serious quest for reconfiguration of Nigeria.
This brings me once again to my earlier position on those who think that belongingness to a new state of their dream is a matter of coercion and crude imposition. The Ned Nwokos of the Anioma state agitation have demonstrated the value of consultation and bridge-building. They have ensured that all segments of the proposed state are brought into the picture with civility. Those who do not know what inclusivity means should learn a lesson or two from the Ned Nwoko approach. Imposition or coercion never works in any setting.
QUOTE:
“Now that agitation for state creation has become an all-comers affair, the National Assembly Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution should endeavour to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
