Igbo Group Backs Creation of Anioma State, Submits Memo to Senate Committee

A prominent pan-Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ndi Asuu Bia Social Cultural Organization, has formally endorsed the creation of Anioma State from the existing Delta State, submitting a memorandum to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution to that effect.

The group, which is duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), said the proposal seeks to redress decades-long marginalization and disparities in state representation affecting the Igbo ethnic group.

This push aligns with the growing momentum behind the Anioma State creation bill, spearheaded by Senator Ned Nwoko, who represents Delta North in the National Assembly. According to reports, Nwoko has already secured the support of over 80 serving senators.

In a detailed four-page memorandum jointly signed by Chief Onyenwemadu Kingsley Kainebi (President), Ofochi Benjamin-Atagana, Esq. (Secretary), and Chief Cosmas Agada Chikeobi (Chairman, Local Organising Committee), the group called for specific constitutional amendments.

The memo urged the National Assembly to amend Section 3(1) of the 1999 Constitution to include Anioma as Nigeria’s 37th state, as well as First Schedule, Part I, to list its Local Government Areas and Capital City.

The group emphasized that the creation of Anioma State would bring much-needed balance to Nigeria’s geopolitical structure, noting that the Southeast zone currently has only five states, while other zones have six or more.

According to the group, the name “Anioma” reflects the tribal identity of the dominant Igbo subgroups in the region. They also stressed that calls for the state’s creation date back to Nigeria’s First Republic.

“Creating Anioma State will help reunite Anioma people with their kith and kin in the Southeast, bring governance closer to the grassroots, and eliminate long-standing marginalization,” the submission read.

The group urged the 10th National Assembly to adopt the proposal in the spirit of equity, fairness, and national unity.