By Godfrey C. Osakwe, fnipr
Development Communicator & Anioma Advocate
If indeed the current conversation or documentation on state creation is genuine, and if Anioma State is excluded from the proposal, then it would be nothing short of a travesty of justice against the good people of Anioma Nation.
Anioma remains Nigeria’s oldest unfulfilled agitation for state creation, dating back several decades. I recall emotionally the tireless efforts of our pioneers who championed this cause. A few years ago, I, Godfrey C. Osakwe, joined forces with like-minded patriots under the banner of the Umu Anioma Foundation Worldwide to lend my voice and strength to this noble quest.
It was during this advocacy that I encountered fellow agitators such as Emmanuel Ohia (Coordinator, Atlanta, USA), Lauretta Onochie (then UK-based before joining the Buhari government), Sister Gloria Adagbon (UK-based lawyer), Bros. Charles Anyasi, (now His Royal Majesty, Obi Charles Chukwunwike Anyasi, the Obi of Idumuje-Unor), Frank Ofili (Lagos), my brother Alister Chukwukadibia Smith (Atlanta, Georgia), Emeka Esogbue, Rita Daniels, Patrick Ochei, and many other committed sons and daughters of Anioma.
Together, we strategised tirelessly, held advocacy visits, organised seminars and conferences, and mobilised across traditional and digital platforms. We printed T-shirts, branded jeans, and created impactful materials boldly inscribed with “Anioma 37”; driven by the conviction that Anioma deserves to be Nigeria’s 37th state.
Sadly, the election of Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as Delta’s first Anioma-born Governor led many to believe the agitation had run its course. Others argued that having the state capital in Asaba nullified the relevance of a separate Anioma State.
But students of political history know better: the siting of a state capital does not guarantee equity, justice, or fair resource distribution. The continued cries of marginalisation validate this truth.
Hope was rekindled when Senator Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North Senatorial District at the National Assembly reignited the Anioma State movement with fresh passion. Unfortunately, many dismissed it as a personal ambition, overlooking the broader, legitimate call for justice, self-determination, and regional development. Only a few recognised it for what it truly is: a shared aspiration for progress and equity.
Let it be clear: we are not at war with our neighbours in Delta Central or South. The creation of Anioma State will enhance more development, offer opportunity to reintegrate our kith and kin wrongly ceded to Edo and Rivers States (such as our brothers in Igbanke and Ndoni), and uplift all parts of Delta State, including our neighbours.
Whether Anioma is zoned to the Southeast, Northeast, or Southwest, it does not diminish who we are, the Anioma people. Let us reject divisive stereotypes and embrace historical truths: many Anioma people trace their roots to Nri in present-day Anambra State, while others share ancestral links with Edoid (Edo), Igala, and Yoruba ethnicities. Our heritage is rich and diverse – unapologetically Nigerian.
If, once again, Anioma is excluded from the current round of state creation, the painful truth may be that we failed to speak with one voice or demonstrate the necessary enthusiasm.
Therefore, I call on all Anioma sons and daughters with a collective sense of history, justice, and responsibility to rise in unison, renew the agitation peacefully and lawfully, and press for a just cause whose time is overdue.
God bless Delta State!
God bless Anioma Nation!!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!