Creation of Anioma State is the Solution

It is so surprising that in our Delta state some eminent personalities we ought to look up to in matters that should lead to the growth of development should artificially explore and gather utilities necessary for the creation of tribalism in the state thereby setting the state at war with itself as one unbiased writer would put it. This development has also set the path for dichotomy, ethnic and political violence which the state is known for.  

The problem with the state is that the some ethnic group in the state who believe that the state belongs to them courtesy of the “Delta” which is the name of the state. These people see the state as their own patrimony. This ethnic group is of the opinion that wherever the name ‘Delta’ is mentioned it certainly refers to the ethnic groups and maybe Delta state is not large enough to accommodate other ethnic groups outside of them or it just could be if only the capital of the state could be relocated to Warri. This is the remote and immediate cause of the cold war in the state. Many personalities from the state have contributed their opinions on this matter.

It is only in Nigeria that we avoid constructive issues, advice and plans that should harmonize the diverse peoples of the nation and further lead to development. The problem again is that we deliberately manufacture problems in this nation and sometimes when there is relative peace we quickly sit down and strategize on how this relative peace could be truncated so that we can in the process gain cheap publicity or improve our profiles. One wonders why it is not the situation in developed countries such as the USA, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, China etc. Only very few students in Nigeria today can mention 10 states in Japan or even 5 in China. Worse still, I am very sure that as you read this article most of us cannot rightly tell what state nelson Mandela originates from in South Africa here or Kwame Nkruma state of origin in Ghana.

I think on of the ways we can help ourselves in this country is the Federal Government imposing a ban on information dealing with ‘state of origin’, ‘town’, ‘local government area’, place of birth and others for only this will give Nigerians the real idea that we are one in spite of where you come from and that it does not really matter whether your journey takes you 2 hours or more from Asaba to any other part of Delta state or Nigeria for that matter. After all Airports are necessary to quickly and easily facilitate our movements from part of our state to another.

It is an absurdity to rely on provincial delineation used by the British to effectively achieve divide and rule criterion for state creation in Nigeria and else way, the same method we should have condemned. If this criterion which  tribal division which execrably achieved the location of Yoruba in Nigeria and Benin Republic, Ewe in Togo and Ghana and other places alike why must we seek to rely on it in referencing whether we were one people or not. Any student of history would then want to know how the people related and viewed themselves before the coming of the Europeans in the first place. We know that states can be created and be created depending on the position of things at any point in time. Years back ‘Obafemi Awolowo University and indeed Ile-Ife was located in Oyo state and has historically been today, the great centre of learning is located in Osun state. Aboh and the people of Ukwuani were once part of the old Delta province; today they are parts of Anioma.

The Abuja authorities decided to merge agitations from both sides and perhaps were convinced that since the whole of these areas are geographically located in the Delta region, the state can be called Delta state and the capital situated in Asaba because the people constituting Delta south already have the name referred to as the state. In creating a state any name or word can be coined. We saw this in the creation of the defunct Bendel state and Benin City was named the capital. Provinces make no sense.

Maybe we look up the word ‘Delta’ in the dictionary in other to appreciate that the word does not tribally refer to any particular nation, ethnic group, tribe or ethnic group much less a particular region confined to Nigeria. We are therefore aptly sure to believe that all the communities without any exception now lying in Delta state are geographically located in with the Delta region of Nigeria. Is Delta an indigenous name in Nigeria? There is countless number of Deltas in existence the world over. We well know that what is called Delta today might well have been called a different name. What is happening today among those who believe that state creation has to do with tribalism occurs because we in Delta state have simply refused to live together as one bid family unless we have the government announce our premises as the state capital.

The capital of Anambra state could have been situated in Onitsha, Ogun in Ijebu-Ode, Oyo in Ibadan, Abia state in Aba. The capital of Nigeria was once situated in Lagos by the British later moved to Abuja, there was no protest and no one would think it was not wise and judge with the basis of the wisdom of the Britain who used provincial delineation in deciding that the capital of the nation be suitably located in Lagos. One wonders why all this noise about Asaba after all Asaba was once the capital of southern Nigeria which included the area now called Delta state.

Rather than help champion the cause of separation of these two entities through the creation of another state from the present state these people would further suggest the relocation of Anioma to Anambra state and become a member of South Eastern group of states. The same argument Governors of the south East would turn down where they alleged that the creation of Anioma state would mean an extra state for the people of South-south. How confused we are in this country or how prepared we are to play with the destinies of group of people if only we can achieve our personal aims in the name of our ethnic group

We all know the solution to this matter and this the creation of Anioma state