Some five weeks ago, I had, in this column, broached the issue of the proposal for the creation of Anioma state out of the present Delta state. My intervention came in response to the submission made by Senator Ned Nwoko to the Senate for the creation of Anioma state.
The agitation for Anioma state has long been on the cards. But Senator Nwoko brought a fresh and refreshing dimension to bear on it. He wants Anioma state, when created, to be made the sixth zone of the Southeast geopolitical zone to make up for the zone’s deficit in the distribution of states across zones. Besides all the beautiful arguments that make the creation of Anioma state such a good idea, Senator Nwoko took the matter a notch higher when he proposed that Anioma be made part of the southeast. Naturally, some will applaud the idea while others will frown on it. That is the way of the world. Contraries must come into play in anything we do. What matters ultimately is how we harness the divergent opinions that issue forth from the discourse and synthesize them into a position that will work for all. That is what has been going on for weeks now.
Unlike the case of one or two other state creation proposals that were brought to the National Assembly which only got a mention and was heard no more, the argument for the creation of Anioma state as packaged and presented by Senator Nwoko has continued to resonate. Apart from President Tinubu’s induced hardship on Nigerians, one of the most discussed national issues in the country today is Ned Nwoko’s proposal for the creation of Anioma state. The matter has occupied the centre stage of national discourse because of the deep thinking that went into it. Senator Nwoko brought a unique selling point to bear on it, making Anioma state creation an agitation like no other. Certainly, Nwoko did his homework well before going public with it. This is a representation at its best. The people of Delta North should be grateful to Senator Nwoko for the good job he is doing in the Senate.
I am aware of the pockets of dissension that have greeted Nwoko’s idea, but as I noted earlier, they are normal in every human situation. But how did Ned Nwoko hit the bull’s eye on this matter? Again, as we have earlier underlined, the senator did not just rush into the public arena with his proposal, he ensured, first and foremost, that his idea is imbued with ingredients that will make it appealing. And the appeal here is the southeast angle. Everybody is aware of the fact that the southeast has the least number of states among the six geopolitical zones of the country. This deficit has negatively impacted the zone in a number of ways. The zone has the least number of representatives in the National Assembly. It has the least number of local government areas and it faces severe shortfall in revenue allocation since revenue distribution is largely dependent on the number of states and local governments. These, among other disadvantages, have not helped the growth and development of the region. For these and related reasons, the people of the zone have been asking for parity in the distribution of states.
This anomalous situation received a deserving attention at the 2014 National Conference of President Goodluck Jonathan. The recommendation for creation of new states ensured that the southeast got equal number of states with the other five zones. Regrettably, the report of the Conference was consigned to the ash heaps of history by the Buhari administration.
Now, another opportunity for the righting of this historical wrong is here with us. The southeast can achieve equality of states under the Tinubu administration if justice and fair play are applied. And this is what we expect especially now that every effort is being made to ensure peaceful and harmonious coexistence among Nigerians. But what must be taken into account is the fact that there is no plan, at the moment, for wholesale creation of more states that will go round the geopolitical zones. Undertaking such a gargantuan project may not be feasible at this time that the country is grappling with existential issues of hunger and abject poverty.
What is easier to achieve now is the creation of just one state for the southeast. This is readily achievable if the right politics is played.
It is important to appreciate the fact that what matters in this whole scenario is the imperative of giving the Southeast one more state. This extra state could be carved out of any Igbo-speaking territory, be it east or west of the Niger. What should be of utmost consideration is that it has to be appropriately grouped as a southeast state so that the vexed issue of disparity in the distribution of states will be laid to rest. By proposing that Anioma be made the sixth state of the southeast, Senator Nwoko simply seized the moment. He took the wind out of the sail of other state creation agitators who have no compelling argument behind their agitation. Nwoko’s argument is not just compelling, it has all the ingredients of sense and strategic thinking. It is a masterstroke of the first order.
That is why the few voices of dissent from parts of Delta state should think again. They should recognize the fact that, ordinarily, the slot for a sixth state for the southeast should go to the southeast zone. But in this age and time when inclusiveness has become a cardinal principle of progress, rigidity of any sort should be shunned. The concession which the southeast is being prevailed upon to make should be appreciated by all concerned.
Some elements within Delta state who are yet to appreciate the beauty of Nwoko’s idea need to be a bit introspective. The senator is working towards bringing all people of Anioma stock into one umbrella. When a people who share a common linguistic and ethnic affinity flock together, they become stronger. The present arrangement which leaves Anioma Igbos fragmented is not in the best interest of the people. Interestingly, the people of Igbanke in Edo State who are Anioma people have already come to recognize the need for a people to join their kith and kin for a stronger and more productive union. The Igbankes are asking to be included in Anioma state. Their demand makes a lot of sense. It can only come from a people who understand the value of ethnic and linguistic bonding.
In fact, it is expected that those agitating for one more state for the southeast should bury their individual agitations and rally round an idea that will work. That workable idea is the proposal for the creation of Anioma state as presented by Senator Nwoko.
QUOTE:
“One of the most discussed national issues in the country today is Ned Nwoko’s proposal for the creation of Anioma state. The matter has occupied the centre stage of national discourse because of the deep thinking that went into it, making Anioma state creation an agitation like no other.”
