THE resonating of the age-long Anioma State creation project by Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Ned Nwoko has been described by Odu Oma Club of Nigeria as a consummate and a carry through action geared towards fulfilling the dream of Anioma people having a state of their own and a clearly recognizable identity within Nigeria polity.
This expression was unreservedly displayed in an interactive reach out meeting with the Senator, which took place at the Palace of the Obuzor of Ibusa,His Royal Majesty, Obi (Prof). Louis C. Nwoboshi, and one of the founders of OduOma Club, Mr. Patrick O. Okenyi, the EzeOduOha(National President) of OduOma Club.
He explained that the invitation to interact with the Senator was to brief him and make available necessary information/some historical perspective of Anioma State creation project and to arm him with pungent facts and the need for proper consultation. This, Mr. Patrick O. Okenyi observed the Senator had already started.
The EzeOduOha noted with nostalgia, the club’s deliberate and committed efforts in the past 44 years for the realization of the creation of Anioma State for clear identity, recalling several meetings held with the South East Governors and Stakeholders in Enugu and Owerri on state creation, where Ohaneze Ndi Igbo State Creation Committee attended.
He stressed that OduOma Club had been, in the words of late Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) J.C. Edozien, “the think tank” on the creation of Anioma State because of the club’s research outfit and contributions due to the reservoir of intelligent members.
According to him, it was in the house of the Senator in Abuja that late Amb. Raph Uwechue was selected as Anioma’s candidate for the position of the President-General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, noting that Ohaneze Ndi Igbo had been favourably and deeply involved in Anioma project and do not see anything wrong with Anioma identifying with them.
Earlier, the Senator Ned Nwoko gave a resume of what triggered the resuscitation and the current agitation for Anioma State creation, noting that he had to present the bill before the National Assembly after some necessary consultations due to privileged information. He further informed the club that he had renewed and aggressively consulting Anioma people hence the interaction with OduOma Club.
In his contributions, the Obuzor of Ibusa, Obi (Prof) L.C. Nwoboshi noted with contentment the resuscitating of the aged-long struggle for identity and independence of Anioma people, noting that the grandfather of the Distinguished Senator was among the three wise traditional rulers that protested in 1939, the exclusion of Anioma people from the South East zone using River Niger as a boundary between the West and East of Nigeria.
The Obuzor prophetically alluded to the fact that nature might leverage on the Senator’s current move to complete what his grandfather started. He assured him of OduOma Club’s willingness to effectively partner with him in his effort for the fruition of the creation of Anioma State.
A statement by the Okwelegwe Oha of the OduOma Club, Uche Emma Aboh, indicated that theclub pick and aligned with the vision of their forefathers 44 years ago aimed at making Odu Anioma, OduOma and have never relented till date.
