No need to fight against Anioma State creation – NNABSCO

Senator Godswill Akpabio’s statement that the capital of the proposed Anioma State would be Asaba, should encourage those against the Anioma State creation to embrace the bill and join forces to ensure the realisation of the proposed new state.

Akpabio said he supports the bill but for the new state to be actualised, it depends on the unity of the people.

But Kingsley Kainebi, a citizen of the North Delta (Anioma) and president Ndi Na Asu Bia Socio-Cultural Organization (NNABSCO), believes that there is unity among the people.

He said: “Our people are united. Those against the creation of Anioma State are those feeling insecure being that the person who is spear-heading the course for this state creation is Senator Ned Nwoko.

“Everyone knows that we the citizens of Delta North are due for this state creation, and that there is nothing in between us and our brothers in the South-East.

“It is the enemies of Senator Ned Nwoko that are feeling politically insecure but we know that in Delta North we are united in this course already. The little division I saw was when a statement was made that the Capital of the Proposed Anioma State will move from Asaba in Delta to Orlu in Imo State. The news came as a way of creating division of interest among us. We have been able to let people know that the news came to destabilise or cause disagreement among us.

“But now that it is clear that there is no intention of moving the state capital from Asaba, I think the ones that have been crying should stop because there shouldn’t be any need again for them to be crying.

“They should rather come and join forces with us towards the realisation of the proposed new state.”

The role of NNABSCO in the proposed Anioma State

Kainebi disclosed the NNABSCO is known for Igbo Unity. “We are working at uniting the indigenous Igbo people spread across the 13 states of the federation. In doing so, when we heard about the constitutional amendment, we thought it will be good if we move fast to realise this Anioma State so that it will put an end the identity issue we are having on this side.

“We submitted memoranda to the National Assembly; we met Senator Ned Nwoko as the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District (the Anioma geo-political area) and he told us that the idea is good and that he had a similar idea. That was how he took it up and sponsored the bill in the Senate. Since then, he has been working with us and doing everything he can to ensure that the bill succeed. We have passed the second reading, we have passed the public hearing and I believe that soon, justice would be served and Anioma State will be created”, he stated.

Protests against Anioma State creation meaningless – Atagana-Ofochi

Benjamin Atagana-Ofochi, secretary of NNABSCO, also told BusinessDay that those protesting against the success of the proposed Anioma State Creation, should see their fight as inconsequential because the bill has passed the level of protest. It is only the referendum that can say No and it will stand, he said. Atagana-Ofochi, a lawyer and legal adviser to the group, revealed this in an interview with BusinessDay, declaring that it is only God, President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly that would stop the bill.

“What the Senate President said is what we have been working towards. His statement is just to add to what we have been agitating that it comes through. It’s good news for us basically.

Explaining further, he said, “Senator Akpabio’s statement is just conditional. What he said is if the state assemblies will pass the bill… For me, being a lawyer, it is the right statement for him to make because there is a rigid procedure for the creation of states. It is not something that somebody will wake up with a fiat. We are not under military; we are in a constitutional democracy.

Making it more clearly, Atagana-Ofochi explained, “The process is that the bill gets to the state assemblies, which is just simple majority and as at now, APC controls outright majority – 31 states. Once the president, being an APC president, gives an order that they should vote, of course, it is a national consensus. The whole federation is in agreement that Anioma State should be created. So, there is a consensus already and once it gets to that stage, it will scale through. Then, it will now come to the stage where Ndigbo will vote and the South-East will only vote and the majority will win. So, what the Senate President said is more or less a constitutional statement.”

Months ago, the lawmakers in the Delta State House of Assembly, the Local Government Chairmen and councillors had kicked against the Anioma State Creation, demanding for Anioma State would remain in the South-South with Asaba as state capital. However, youths and women and other representatives from the nine LGAs that made up Anioma area in the present Delta State, rejected the position of the political leaders and traditional rulers. They passed a Vote of confidence on Anioma State that would be zoned to the South-East with Asaba as the Capital. This is an opportunity for us to join our kits and kins in the South-East, they said. They were joined in the peaceful protest by the Ika Igbo Speaking People in Edo State.

Atagana-Ofochi maintained that, “Their protest is meaningless because Anioma State proposal has gone pass that level which any protest can succeed. It is only the referendum that will say NO and it will.stand. So, the protest against Anioma State creation is inconsequential.

The bill is now at the committee level. Committee referred it to the caucus but the advantage Anioma has is that – if you listen to what Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker of the Federal House of Representatives said, that the powers that be do not want to create a state in the South-East for the region to remain what it is; that they want to create a state that will increase the territory of the South-East.

“So, Anim State will not increase the territory of the South-East because Anim is only fragmenting the South-East. The only proposal that will increase the territory of South–East is Anioma. We have it on good authority that the president has assured us that he will support the creation of Anioma to increase the territory of South-East.

The deputy speaker is from the South-East. The Anim State supporters went to meet him to lobby him and he told them to have open mind to the position of the powers that be.

“Except God and President Tinubu fail us!

The president has given Senator Ned Nwoko and Anioma people his word that the new state will be created to expand the territory of the South-East. They are not creating state just for the fun of it. They are creating state to expand the territory of the south east.

There were seven bills that were proposed for the South-East. The deputy speaker was initially supporting Anim but had to change in support Anioma because that is the position of the powers that be – National Assembly and presidency.

“Then, you have seen that the Senate President has historically said that Anioma State would be created from Delta State as capital of Anioma State. That it will be created to increase South-East region. Then if the Senate President and the Deputy Speaker have said that, you should understand that it is almost a done deal and that is a simple instruction from the president himself. So, for us, we are just hoping that the president does not disappoint us because he has already given us his word and we are hoping that he will do it.

Let those against supporting Anim State listen to majority opinion – Agada

Chief Cosmas Agada, Patron of NNABSCO called on the people to come out and support the creation of Anioma State.

“Let Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Senator Osita Izunaso forget about Anim State because it is not popular. It’s a one-man show. They should join a popular demand for the creation of Anioma State.

Agada, who is from Anambra State, noted that whenever anything comes to the side of South East, they normally talk about unity and people speaking with one voice. He posited that in a democracy there is never a time you will get everybody to see things from the same viewpoint. You can never get hundred percent support in anything from any part of the country. It is the majority that carries the votes. Let them listen to the majority opinion.