WHY ANIOMA STATE IS THE BEST OPTION FOR THE SOUTH-EAST

WHY ANIOMA STATE IS THE BEST OPTION FOR THE SOUTH-EAST

1. GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE:

The South-East has a small geographical size and has the penultimate and antepenultimate ranking states, by geographical size.

Agitating for states from a state like Imo, the third to the smallest Nigerian State by geographical size, would spark several arguments that would miliate against the creation of any state from the South East.

When the bill for ORLU State creation was read, there became arguments that if Imo state with a small territory would have a state created out of it, then States like Oyo, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, etc, which are each larger in geographical size than the entire South-East zone, should each have three states created out of them.

This would spark further arguments that make the creation of the state difficult, or possibly making the issue of state creation of any kind, cancelled.

No South-East State should be made smaller. ORLU State when created would relieve Lagos of her position as the smallest State by land area. The position would be contested by the New Anambra, the New Imo and the Orlu State.

Having a small land area would reflect in the State’s allocation, because alongside Population, IGR, economic input, geographical size is put into consideration for allocation. This maybe one reason Jigawa receives more allocations than Imo, a supposed Oil/Gas producing state.

Imo State’s size is 5,100 km². Halving it would give about 2,550km² and including areas of Anambra that sum up to 1,200km², would make both states smaller, with the New Imo being more disadvantaged.

An Anioma State would increase the territorial size of the South-East. Joining the new ANIOMA STATE to the South East would be more reasonable, especially when equity is put to consideration.

The proposed Anioma State occupies an Area that is larger than that of three South-Eastern States: Anambra, Imo and Ebonyi. It is about the same geographic size as Abia State. It will become the second largest State by landmass in the South-East, after Enugu, if created.

Anioma State with its area of 6,400km² (including proposed boundary adjustment for the Igbanke people of Edo State, Abuetor and Osekwenike of Bayelsa, etc) will increase the South East territory from its estimated 29,500km², to 36,230km².

With this, the taunting of “five plot of lands” would be reduced.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE AND URBANIZATION

ORLU and Adada States would be a burden to create, because of remote regions that would require huge resources to develop. ORLU region admittedly has a large population and a population density. However, the Federal Government may reconsider areas that would be less cumbersome for creation.

With smaller resources and smaller allocations, the Orlu and Adada States would not develop at par with the other existing South Eastern States. By the population figures of the 2006 census results, the Adada area merely meets the population requirement.

However, the Anioma region already has an established capital city, Asaba and Agbor as another city, Kwale as another budding urban area. An Airport is already existing in the Anioma area, an NYSC camp, a State polytechnic, a State University and a Federal University.

Anioma as a State would be at par with the other South-East states in terms of development. With these facilities, Anioma State would not be an economic burden to the Federal Government. ORLU and Adada States would be more of economic burden to the federal government,as they would incur more expenses creating new government, infrastructure and bureaucracy.

The remaining parts of Delta State still have infrastructure to their advantage as well. Warri, the State’s largest city, has the potential of a state capital, and was even the proposed capital of the Delta State agitation, in the Defunct Bendel State, before it was merged with the Anioma state movement to create the present Delta State.

It has a viable airport and seaport, with Ughelli, Sapele, Udu as other urban areas. It retains a State University, a Federal University and two campuses of a State polytechnic.

With these, Anioma is ready to be a State. Its Population according to the 2006 census was about 1.2 Million, which is today estimated at 2Million Million+ today.

3. ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS
Imo State today has been recorded as the second largest economy in the country. The creation of a state will discontinue this status. The South East needs an Economic power.
Also, the three oil/gas producing LGAs of Imo State are drafted in the new ORLU State. Both Imo and Orlu states would be affected economically.

Adada State on the other hand isn’t convincingly Economically sufficient, Considering resources and the present IGR of Enugu State, although sitting on huge coal, gas and oil wealth underneath.

Anioma State is Economically viable. It is an Oil/Gas and limestone rich zone. With Anioma State in the South-East, the South-East would have three States covered by NDDC, and four oil producing states. Delta State presently is Nigeria’s second largest oil producing state and produces 21% of Nigeria’s oil wealth.

Anioma region produces about 28% of this, thus translating to about 6% of Nigeria’s oil production. With these, Anioma would be the largest oil producing state amongst the South Eastern States, with Imo, Abia and Anambra, whose combined oil output do not sum more than 5% of National production, following.

Following this, Anioma would rank as the fifth largest oil producing States, topping Ondo, Edo, Imo, Abia, Lagos and Anambra States, respectively.

Also, Anioma has potentials in Agriculture as it has agricultural zones known for commercial food production, and rich arable soil.

The South East already has two states, Imo and Anambra among the top ten largest economies in Nigeria.
Abia and the proposed Anioma States, have the potential of being among the top ten soon, and so, would boost the regional economy with healthy competition among the brotherly states.

ORLU and Adada States do not seem promising to attain such feats immediately.

4. ETHNIC NATIONALISM AND REINTEGRATION
It is no news that the Igbo people live on both sides of the Niger. The River Niger has been used as an administrative boundary that had balkanised the Igbo region. Same River Niger was not considered as a regional boundary where it divides the Nupe territory into two. The Benue River too was not considered as boundary too.

Due to this century-long administrative balkanisation, there has been a miscommunication that makes many non Igbo, and even some Igbo speaking people, exclude the Igbo at the West of the Niger, when referring to the Igbo, as they refer to only the current five South States when referring to the Igbo.

With the Anioma as a predominantly Igbo speaking State in the South-East, this would be corrected. Igbo land can be fully and rightly be declared as “South-East”. And when one referred to the Igbo as South-East, then Anioma would not be excluded.

A creation of an Anioma State will reassert the Igbo majority status and political relevance as Anioma State is home to revered intellectuals and successful relevant entrepreneurs, brilliant politicians and unique constitutional Monarchical systems.

The misnomer about “fake”, “unpure” Igbo or prefixing the name of a State before the Igbo identity, would be obsolete. As people who defined who an Igbo was, by being Indigenous to the South-East zone, would spare Anioma.

More programmes and better mother tongue education in the Anioma areas. The unifying language of the Enuani, Ika and Ndokwa could be fully used in school curriculum as well.More representation and integration with the Igbo apex organisations.

The Anioma people have been in the forefront of Igbo Nationalism since the beginning of the 20th century. Prominent among them, is Dennis Osadebe of Asaba. There had been calls earlier in the 1960’s to reintegrate Anioma to the Defunct Eastern Region. The Anioma agitation had lasted for close to a century.

Anioma State creation should be supported also in honour of the Anioma sons and daughters who had devoted their lives for the Igbo cause. Late Nnamdi Azikiwe, was an ardent supporter of the Anioma State movement.

Anioma State, if actualised, would spur other Igbo speaking groups, outside today’s South-East zone, to unite and agitate for their own state creation or request boundary adjustment.

Anioma State creation would be one of the best things to happen to the Igbo.

5. REGIONAL INTEGRATION
Onitsha and Asaba are spilling into each other as twin conurbations. Anioma State as part of the South-East will reensure regional integration, especially if the governments of the individual South-Eastern States come together to have a regional planning.

With Anioma State, the River Niger would only but be a geographical demarcation between the States of Anioma and Anambra, and not a regional demarcation. This is same way the Cross-River is just a geographic demarcation between AkwaIbom and Cross-River states. In like manner, recall that the Imo River is only a geographic feature that splits the Etche tribe of Rivers State, and the Asa and NDỌKỊ of Abia and Rivers States, each into two.

With regional integration, bridges could connect Aboh to Oguta, to Owerri and Aba. With bridges, Illah is connected to the Omambara area of Anambra State and to Enugu, also connect Ndokwa across the Niger to Ogbaru.

A railway terminal exists within Anioma. With a proper regional planning, the cities of Agbor and Asaba could be linked to Onitsha and to Enugu, then to Umuahia and Aba via rail.

6. BEST OPTION FOR ANIOMA PEOPLE

Many Anioma people do not support Anioma State being in the South-East, especially among the Ika and Ndokwa. Some do not like the “Anioma” tag, although they believe a state created from the present Delta North is ideal.

However, proposing an Anioma State for the South South that has six states would raise other arguments and opposition especially from other zones having six states, who would want more states created from them to be at par with the seven state creation. Nigeria cannot afford to create multiple states at the moment. This may further inhibit the ANIOMA State creation.

An Anioma State with the South East as sixth state, would be reasonable for equity, and would be a win-win for both the Anioma people and the South-East.

An Anioma being championed for the South-South, may steer up other agitations for states too from the South-South, such as Itai and Atlantic States movement from AkwaIbom, Ogoja State movement from Cross-River, Oil-Rivers state from Rivers State, etc. These would compete for relevance and space for creation, reducing Anioma State’s chances…

However, Anioma State movement as proposed, currently has a very significant support among South Easterners, even with current agitations for Orlu and Adada States creation. With proper consultation with Traditional leaders and South-Eastern Lawmakers, there is potential support in the National Assembly, added by an advantage with the Anioma delegation in the Ohanézè Ndigbo. Anioma State has nothing to lose being in the South East.