Need For Identity Behind Quest For Anioma State- Chief Okei

Natives of Anioma in Delta North Zone of Delta State agitating for the creation of Anioma State are doing so because they want to be identified as Ndigbo.

The Vice President, Isu Anioma Town Union, Abuja, High Chief Victor Okei, stated this in an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER on Friday.

Chief Okei, who is one-time President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Federal Capital Territory, and currently, Secretary General, Ikenga Ndigbo Progressive Union Worldwide, said Anioma agitators were not against another state creation from both South-South and South-East regions of the country.

He said, “The ceding of the Aniomas to Delta State was for the sake of state creation. It was to make the creation of Delta State out of the old Bendel State possible. It was influenced by the late Nigerian First Lady, Maryam Babangida. That was how we fell into Delta to boost the number of LGAs in the state.

“We are the Aniomas. They call us Enu Ani, meaning that we are on top. Anybody from Delta North is Enu Ani. Three local government areas make this zone. They are Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, and Ukwuani LGA, being represented by Hon Nnamdi Ezechi in the House of Representatives. These are the three local government areas in the Delta North situated along the riverine area. Ogwashi and Ika are our brothers. Those who have affiliations with Benin through migration are like seven per cent. They are of the Agbo extractions.”

He said the Aniomas, including people from Oshimili, mostly migrated from Igalla, which is across the Niger. According to him, “There is a community in Delta North that has a place called Ebu, and they have a masquerade called Ebu Wonder. They speak Igalla but are in Anioma. These are settlers. In my community, we were the first settlers. We are called Ndi Abalugada. Our business is farming and fishing.”

He said making Anioma a state would be an age-long fulfilment of the desires of the Anioma forefathers.

In his words, “If Anioma state is created, and I die the next day, I will tell my father that the agitation they fought for had become a reality. It is when it is created that we now know the zone we belong to. We and the Urhobos are not homogenous. We don’t have the same cultures, so there is no resemblance. The ceding of the three LGAs in Delta North to Delta is by nature and did not involve moving anyone from one place to another. We migrated from Igalla in search of fulfilment, identity, and independence. Those who speak Igbo in Delta want to be identified as Ndi Igbo. We have nothing to do in a state where we don’t have anything in common with others. We don’t speak the same language.”