The Senator representing the Delta North senatorial district, Senator Ned Nwoko, has said the agitation for the creation of Anioma State is about correcting historical imbalances.
Nwoko, who recently sponsored a motion for the creation of Anioma State in the National Assembly, stated this while addressing participants at the Igbo Unification Movement, a two-day event in collaboration with the Ndi na Asu Bia (come) Socio-Cultural Organisation in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Speaking, Nwoko noted such demand aligned with his long-standing philosophy on Anioma identity and the need for an Anioma State carved out of Delta North.
He said, “There is no argument about our Igbo-ness. I understand history very well; I have a degree in history. I know the migration of the Igbo people, and I know clearly that we, the Anioma, are Igbo. The time has come for us to reverse the old narratives that separated us from our brothers across the Niger.
“The agitation for the creation of Anioma State is not about politics or personal ambition, but about correcting historical imbalances, and I have said over time that my dream is for an Ndokwa son or daughter to emerge as the first governor of Anioma State when it is created.
“This is not about APC, PDP, or Labour Party. It is about identity, justice, and fairness. I have no interest in being governor, but I want Anioma to stand tall with its own state, with Asaba as its capital. That way, we also fulfil the dream of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which has always recognised Anioma as one of the Igbo states.”
Nwoko recalled his childhood experience during the Nigerian Civil War when Anioma communities faced identity crisis.
According to him, the lingering identity crisis from that era must now give way to truth and reconciliation.
“The Igbo man is Igbo everywhere, whether from Delta, Imo, or Abia. Just like a Chinese man remains Chinese anywhere in the world, Anioma must rise to embrace its identity. That is the only way we can achieve unity and political relevance,” he added.
The senator urged the Igbo Unification Movement, Ndi na Asu Bia, and other cultural organisations to continue their advocacy, education, and mobilisation, stressing that only through such collective effort can the dream of a united Igbo nation and the creation of Anioma State be realised.
Nwoko urged the Anioma people of Delta State to fully embrace their Igbo identity and join hands with their Eastern brothers in building a stronger and more united Nigeria.
In his goodwill message, the governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Johnson Erijo, commended the organisers for bringing together all Igbo-speaking groups.
Various speakers, including emeritus Prof Uzodinma Nwala, Prof Obasi Igwe, Prof Paul Opine, Chief Kingsley Kainebi, among others, urged Igbo people to stand together as one united ethnic group, noting that the event was to correct decades of identity distortion.
The speakers condemned the identity crisis of Igbo-speaking people, either from Delta, Rivers, and other states, that had over the years caused division, insisting that there is nothing like “core Igbo.”
The Igbo Unification Movement and Ndi na Asu Bia have in recent years become strong advocacy platforms championing the cultural, historical, and political unity of Igbo-speaking communities across Nigeria, including Anioma in Delta, Igbanke in Edo, and other border areas.
