By Barr. Patrick Ifeanyi Biose
13th July,2025
Movement For The Creation Of Anioma State has been a project of its own, which predates the concept of Six Geo-political grouping of Nigeria, and the birthing of our extant Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: 1999 as amended. The Anioma State project in itself dates back to the year 1964, as spearheaded by the likes of Chief Dennis Osadebe, Dr Israel Amadi-Emina, Barr (Mrs) Ndidi Edewor and hosts of other great Anioma patriots of now blessed memories. Which goes to prove that as at about 60-years ago, the area and people so described Anioma have already satisfied all the qualifying criteria to assume its own status to become a State within the territorial boundaries of Nigeria. This demand is further reinforced by the justification to create the sixth State for the Southeast Geopolitical Zone, so as to balance the scale of equity with its South-south and North-central counterparts.
Under the federal system of government as we currently have it in Nigeria, every State is a federating unit having its own powers, rights, duties and limitations as outlined in the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution. This is to say, that the Geo-political Zone where a particular State is grouped into has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the autonomous powers and privileges accruing to that State and its people politically, administratively or economically. The grouping of States along Geo-political expressions are simply for ease of geo-ethnic identifications, and for administrative convenience to the federal government. They neither have any cardastral mapping of their own, nor delineated with any gazetted boundary lines. It is therefore of no detrimental effect on the respective State Governments and their people.
So the arguments and misguided apprehension being raised against Anioma State becoming a sixth State in the Southeast Geopolitical Zone is a demonstration of sheer ignorance of the legal status of a State under the Constitution, viz-a-viz the concept of Geo-political sub-regional grouping of States within the federation of Nigeria. None of the six(6) Geo-political Zones has its own government, none has a liaison office recognized by law anywhere in Nigeria, and none has any form of administrative machinery to control or dictate the affairs of any State within its zone. Political offices, resource acquisitions & appropriation, and the overall development of a State and its people IS NOT based on the arithmetics of which Geo-political Zone the State is grouped into. The expression merely exist for ease of administrative references along the line of Ethno-geographic groupings. This justifies the recommendation for the National Boundary Commission to be directed to include communities like Igbanke, Onitsha, Obosi and Ndoni together with the present Delta North Senatorial District to form the new Anioma State. This is evidently because the people from this areas have a homogeneous culture, linguistic and customary affinities that binds them as a compatible sub-ethnic nationality.
Ironically though, I recently saw a certain toxic material in circulation on the social media purportedly credited to one “FORUM OF DELTA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN” in Delta State, impliedly kicking against the creation of Anioma State as been sponsored by distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko at the National Assembly, alleging breach of *section 8(1a)* of the 1999 Constitution for not being “carried along” by the Senator. I viewed that move as unfathomable gang up against the actualization of a worthy the dream for the creation of ANIOMA STATE. Such move is tantamount to blind political mischief and failed attempts to sabotage the future generations of their entitled legacy.
With profound respect therefore, I want these nine (9) Local Government Council Chairmen to TAKE NOTICE and be BETTER INFORMED that within the contemplations of *section 8(1a)(iii)* of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it is not even within the purview of the Local Government Council Chairmen who are the respective heads of their Executive Arms to poke-nose into the process of State creation. At the Local Government levels, the Councillors are the only equivalents in-title with the members of House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senators on whom the duties are specifically and unambiguously imposed and referred to in *sub-sections 1a(i)(ii) of section 8* of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, upon which they purportedly based their protest. In other words, the Constitution has unambiguously imposed specific roles only on the Legislative Assemblies across the three tiers of government, on the subject matter of State creation.
One cannot stop wondering why any development and politically foresighted minded individual of Anioma extraction will find it convenient to be opposed to the patriots efforts of distinguished Senator Ned Muni Nwoko for the eventual realization of the creation of Anioma State, if not for sheer ignorance of its overall strategic benefits, or, if not for being a victim of mental slavery and intellectual subjugation. For avoidance of doubts, grouping Anioma State into the Southeast Geopolitical Zone does not for example strip an Enuani, Ika/Igbanke, or Ndokwa/Ukwuani person of his family rights or ancestral ties with his indigenous people as such. Neither will it transcendentally remove their communities away from their ancestral locations on Anioma soil to Abiriba, Agbani, Abo-mbise, Agwuleri, or to Abakaliki in the far east. Your identity, inheritance and ancestry remains firmly intact without any existential threats. But politically economically and otherwise, our people and communities will only get better with the creation of Anioma State. Please let’s all get onboard with Senator Ned Nwoko in this Zion Train to the height of fulfilment.
The Councillors, other legislators in Delta North, and stakeholders from across Igbanke, Onitsha, Obosi, and Ndoni communities must rise up in patriotic solidarity and join forces with Senator Ned Muni Nwoko in the ongoing struggle for the creation of Anioma State as a viable political investment into the farthest future of every Anioma person who is alive today, and into the farthest future of our unborn generations. Only the enemies of progress will convene themselves as a clog in this wheel of progress.
The ideal moment to create ANIOMA STATE is now or NEVER!! Because it is long overdue for balancing the scale of sub-regional equity as the sixth State for the Southeast Geo-political Zone of Nigeria.
Long Live The Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!!
Author is the Principal Partner:*
BIOSE & ASSOCIATES, a Legal Practitioner, an Arbitrator, a Chartered Mediator, and a Real Estate Investment Consultant.