Ika residents reject Sen Nwoko’s bill to ‘annex’ Anioma State to the Southeast

Nigeria’s Onu Ika, has rejected the bill proposed by Senator Ned Nwoko to create Anioma State from the current Delta State as part of the South East region.

The group, which claims to be the mouthpiece of the Ika National Ethnic Group, stated that it does not oppose the bill to form a new country which has been the subject of agitation, but does not support the proposal to “annex” the new country to the southeastern region.

The group, in its latest letter to Senator Nwoko, went back in time to remind the senator of the genesis and origin of the agitation for Anioma state.

Onu Ika Nigeria said they have “refrained from interfering in the “dust” raised by our honourable Senator Ned Nwoko in his call for the creation of ANIOMA STATE. We do not see anything very unusual in the “Proposed Bill” for the creation of ANIOMA State except for the underlying content of the GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE of the envisaged ANIOMA STATE”.

The letter reads:

Onu Ika thus ventures to enlighten our esteemed Senator to give direction; and in giving direction to our esteemed Senator, we shall retrospectively and in-depth refer to the genesis of the quest for the establishment of ANIOMA STATE by some of our patriotic politicians, most of whom though of blessed memory, yet their desires remain unquenched.

We, the Ika Ethnic Nation, are happy that the younger generation is continuing the baton of the ANIOMA State Formation movement, even though socio-economic development in this country is stifling.

For the sake of the younger generation (including most of our Representatives), let us first understand where we came from, where we are now and where we want to be. According to our tradition and indeed universally, “a child should not show his parents his old abode”. Here we will quote verbatim the etymology of “ANIO-MA”, the Acronym of the late Chief Dennis Osadebay, Ojiba of Asaba, in his time-honoured article “Excursion into History” (Reflections). The First Premier of the defunct Midwest Region published in the Guardian on September 10, 1991. We quote “… The meeting resolved that the western Ibo* should seek their own State without bringing in the Eastern Ibo** from Onitsha, Ogbaru and Anambra Local Government Areas”

PLATFORM. We discussed the question of the Organization that should spearhead the demand for the formation of the State. I proposed that we create a name by taking the initial letters of the names of each of the FOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS *** of Western Ibo. So we took A from Aniocha, N from Ndokwa, I from Ika, O from Oshimili. We got the word ANIO and (Chief Osuhor of Umunde in Ika) applauded and rejoiced that we now have a new name ANIO State. I proposed that we sweeten the name by adding the letter M in Oshimili and the letter A which is the last letter in the names of the other three Local Governments so that we get a word (acronym) that gives us the new name ANIOMA State. Incidentally, the word ANIOMA in Ibo language means “good land”

On 27th August 1991, the anniversary of his reign, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida announced the creation of nine new states:- namely, Abia State, Anambra State, Kebbi State, Kogi State, Delta State, Osun State, Taraba State, Jigawa State, Yobe State. Anioma State was not created”

ALSO READ: Delta Senator Nwoko proposes creation of Anioma State, to merge with South East zone

English:Before we conclude the ANIOMA Bill creation of Senator Ned Nwoko and the efforts of the late Chief Dennis Osadebay and Co., Onu Ika would like to take Senator Ned Nwoko on another excursion into the efforts of another Group of patriotic politicians (ANIOMA State Movement” led by the late revered Senator Nosike Ikpo and also, the sole efforts of Hon Pascal Nwaoranine Adigwe former member of the National Assembly representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency especially in the extensive and thorough consultations in the heat of the agitation for the creation of ANIOMA State. In the Document titled “The case for the creation of ANIOMA” the Four Local Government Areas referred to in the Article of the late Chief Dennis Osadebay namely, Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika and Oshimili were represented by 10 persons of proven integrity. They all put their names and signatures in full support of the renewed quest for the creation of ANIOMA State. The group went further in garnering the support of prominent members of the four Local Governments referred to.

OUR CLOSING AND ATTITUDE:

1. Since 1963 till date, every political or non-political Group that has been fighting for the creation of ANIOMA State has been conservative, consistent, focused and specific to the geographical area and the four Local Government Areas that comprise the planned ANIOMA State, namely: Aniocha, Ndokwa, Ika and Oshimili. Indeed, some of their inhabitants may speak Ibo, but that alone does not make them fully Ibo;

2. Secondly, in the historical record of State formation in Nigeria; there has been no attempt to unite two naturally (geographically) separated regions into one State or part thereof. To do so would amount to SEPARATION; the Ika do not want to be annexed to the South East across the River Niger but would gladly be reintegrated into the old Midwest Region

3. Thirdly, the idea of ​​the nomenclature of Western Ibo, Eastern Ibo, Ika Ibo (which gained popularity during the Biafran War and its aftermath) is specific to the Eastern region of the Country. We rarely hear of Western Hausa or Fulani or Western or Eastern Yoruba. We know that there are ethnic minorities in other major Tribes/ethnic groups in Nigeria. Classifying a geographical area as part of the Country primarily on the basis of language is, in our opinion, highly misleading and linguistically unacceptable. The Ika people therefore categorically reject the Bill Proposed by Senator Ned Nwoko to “Annex” the Ika Ethnic Nationality to the Eastern Region beyond the River Niger. The Ika people of oral and written history have three origins—the Bini, the Ishan and the Ibo – Nri factors.

4. Fourth, Delta State was conceived from Bendel State which was carved out of the Midwest Region which was separated from the Western Region. The Midwest Region which was created in 1963 through a plebiscite was one of the four (4) Major Regions that constitutionally constituted the then Nigerian State, namely: Eastern Region which consisted of (9) States; Midwest Region (2) States; Western Region (7) States, and Northern Region (19) States. In our opinion; Senator Ned Nwoko and his Distinguished Colleagues from Edo, Ishan, Itsekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw should address the subtle but real marginalization/deprecation of the Midwest Region among the original Four Regions of Nigeria in 1963.

CONCLUSION:

In view of all the above; The Ika Ethnic Nationality, in principle, supports the Formation of States, particularly ANIOMA State which does not border any part of the State or the Eastern Region. Taking into account all the determinants necessary for the Formation of a State; The Four (4) Local Government Areas that make up the Proposed ANIOMA State initially meet all the requirements.
We therefore humbly appeal to our honorable Senator, Ned Nwoko to review the “Proposed Bill for the Establishment of ANIOMA State particularly the “GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE” or the Engineered Annexation of ANIOMA State to the Eastern Region.

We respectfully close our case.

SIGNED BY:-

1.Elder Daniel Usifoh.
Head. Onu Ika Collective Leadership of Nigeria. (HCL)

2. Chief Barr. Edwin Osuhor. First Vice President.

3. Major General Ephraim O. Usiade, retired Secretary General

Dated June 26, 2024.

Cc. 11 Customary Rulers of the Ika Tribe
Cc. Hon. Barr. Victor Nwokolo. Representative of Ika Federal Constituency in the National Assembly

Ika Community rejects Sen Nwoko’s bill to ‘annex’ Anioma State to the Southeast first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.