STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Senator Ned Nwoko makes more revelation on his pursuit of Anioma state
* He met with Delta North traditional rulers at Owa Oyibu in Ika North East local government area
* He revealed that a Senate committee where he is privileged to be a member gave opportunity for the creation of seven more state
* He said Anioma state was conspicuously mentioned in the privileged document he sighted, hence he took up the move
* He added that the move for Anioma state creation was to correct the imbalance in the south east region of Nigeria
STORY DETAILS
BY PATRICK OCHEI
The Most Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Prince Ned Nwoko, has said that the underlying intention of creating Anioma State is to check marginalization and correct equity imbalance in the South-East region of Nigeria.
He gave this explanation while briefing royal fathers at a meeting of the Anioma Traditional Rulers Committee, held in Owa Monarch’s Palace at Owa Oyibu in Ika North-East local government area of Delta State.
Nwoko convincingly narrated the origin of the drastic move by him to quickly seize the opportunity provided by the Special Committee of the Senate – Constitution Amendment Committee to create just seven states in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, with Anioma conspicuously being mentioned in a privileged document.
He revealed that the Senate has created this Special Committee made up of 36 members, one each from the 36 states in Nigeria, and he was privileged to be a member from Delta State.
He further posited that the creation of Anioma State was possible based on his private meeting with the President; and he called on all and sundry to support the move as what Anioma people had desired in the past 50 years.
According to the Senator, “I know I have the protection of the royal fathers to be here. Just last week here that I was in town, I visited our father the Obi of Owa on Sunday, who said to me that I was the only Prince in Anioma that has risen to the level of becoming a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And he assured me that the Traditional institution and the people would always rise to defend, encourage and support me to succeed.
“On that premise, I have come back out of respect in just few days to honour this invitation. And like always my royal fathers, my intention has always been in the best interest of Anioma people and the progress of our motherland.
“Let me assure you that it is in my place to speak for my people and fight to attract what is rightfully theirs to them. The Anioma State creation is what we have always wanted; and that is what I am fighting for and nothing more”, Nwoko affirmed.
Earlier in their submission, the monarch of Owa Kingdom, HRM Obi (Dr) Emmanuel Efeizomor as Chairman of the Anioma Traditional Rulers Committee, had acknowledged the world-wide news on the creation of Anioma State.
He said that in their meeting of June 26, 2024, they had decided to invite the Senator to brief them on the issue of Anioma State creation in order for all to be on the same page on the issue.
On his part, the 2nd Vice Chairman of Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers and monarch of Ubulu-Uno Kingdom, HRM Obi Henry Kikachukwu averred that there had been varied commentaries on the Anioma State creation issue, maintaining that such had informed their decision to invite the Distinguished Senator to officially brief the Traditional Rulers.
Earlier in the Senator’s narration, some youths who found their ways into the meeting hall with sinister motives, had made frantic efforts to disrupt the Senator’s speech, but they were met with stiff resistance too as the Senator insisted on briefing the royal fathers. He however had his way as the meeting was relocated to another location within the palace.
