The Delta State Government has declared that it is not opposed to the creation of Anioma State, provided the demand is pursued strictly in line with due constitutional processes.
This position was made known yesterday when Anioma youths drawn from the nine local government areas of Delta North staged a peaceful protest to the Government House, Asaba, to renew their long-standing agitation for the creation of Anioma State and its zoning to the South-East geopolitical zone.
Addressing the protesters at the Government House gate, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Prince Johnson Erijo, assured them that the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori harboured no opposition to the legitimate aspirations of the Anioma people.
He emphasized that the government remained firmly committed to democratic choice, the rule of law and the expressed will of the people.
Prince Erijo commended the peaceful disposition of the youths, describing it as a reflection of maturity, responsibility and genuine commitment to their cause.
He disclosed that Governor Oborevwori had been fully briefed on the protest and had directed him to engage the group directly and listen to their concerns.
According to him, the agitation for Anioma State was neither misplaced nor improperly articulated and deserved sincere consideration.
Drawing from scriptural references, he noted that government had a responsibility to respond to the genuine needs of its people, stressing that “no earthly father would give a stone to a child who asks for bread.”
The Chief of Staff further emphasized the importance of unity among Anioma people, noting that a common and clearly defined position would strengthen the agitation and eliminate conflicting opinions. “If the people are in agreement as to the Anioma they desire, there should be no room for dissenting voices,” he said.
Explaining the constitutional framework for state creation, Prince Erijo said the process was clearly outlined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and involved the submission of petitions and memoranda to the National Assembly, followed by legislative consideration and the conduct of a referendum.
He explained that such a referendum would cover all Anioma-speaking local government areas, Aniocha North and South, Oshimili North and South, Ika North East and Ika South, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa East, as well as other interested enclaves, including Igbanke in Edo State.
He assured the protesters that once a referendum was conducted and the majority of the people expressed their desire for Anioma State, their decision would be respected.
He reiterated that Governor Oborevwori was not opposed to the creation of Anioma State and would support any outcome that reflected the majority will of the people through lawful means.
While thanking the protesters for their orderly conduct, Prince Erijo urged them to sustain their calm and law-abiding disposition as they continued to pursue the creation of Anioma State, assuring them that any collective decision reached by the people would be honoured, provided it reflected the majority position.
Earlier, the protesting youths, under the banner of a coalition, reaffirmed their demand for Anioma State and its zoning to the South-East, declared that ancestrally, culturally and linguistically, they were Igbo people, stressing that their identity could no longer be denied or downplayed.
Speaking through their leaders Ofochi Atagana for Ukwuani youths, Ayo Ashiedu for Aniocha North, Kingsley Kainebi for Ika North East and Chief Jude Ogbekile for the Igbanke community, the youths appealed to the Delta State Government to lend political and moral support to the agitation.
They acknowledged that state creation followed constitutional procedures but noted that governors played a vital role in advancing such causes.
They described the creation of Anioma State as a win-win arrangement, noting that Asaba would naturally become the capital of the proposed state while Delta State would have the opportunity to designate a new capital elsewhere. Calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to support the bill for Anioma State, the youths reaffirmed their resolve to be reunited with their kith and kin across the Niger.
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