The Senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, Senator Ned Nwoko, has maintained that the people of Anioma in Delta State are proudly Igbo, and would become the 6th State of the South East region.
Appearing recently on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Nwoko pointed out that the South East has been marginalised, especially in that regard, being that the region only has 5 states.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the Federal government would create another State, which according to him, would come out of Delta State either to give the South-South a 7th, or a 6th for the South East.
According to Nwoko, that is the only way the Federal government can assuage the Igbo.
“The creation of Anioma State is very possible. The need is for self-determination. Let me tell you this, I represent 9 local government areas.
“My constituency is made up of 9 local government areas. Out of these 9 LGAs, 6 of them are oil and gas producing. We’re predominantly agricultural people. Some of it has been devastated by oil pollution.
“But to have a State is something we have been clamoring for for over 50 years. We the Aniomas are proudly Igbo.
“We’ll be the 6th Ndigbo State. The fact is that the Federal government is going to create one State. They’re going to create the state to assuage the Igbo because they’ve been marginalised.
“South East is the only part of Nigeria that is marginalised. South East is the zone in Nigeria with just 5 states. Others have 6 states except for North West that has seven.
“You don’t call that being marginalised? And if you listen to the youths who are agitating in IPOB or ESN, what are clamoring for?
“They’re talking about being marginalised. And one of the ways they’re being marginalised is having fewer states than others.
“And we, the Igbo from the other side of the river, they call us Bendel or Western Igbo, if we have a State that could become the 6th State in the South East or seventh State in the South-South, the fact is that an average Igbo person will feel, ‘okay, something has been done for us’.”
Nwoko, who is in the forefront of the push for the State creation, had recently stated that his support for the creation of Anioma State stems from a deep commitment to the welfare and progress of his constituents at the national level, rather than gubernatorial ambition.
* Media Report