PART 1
THE GEOPOLITICAL ZONE DISTRACTION
By Frank Iroroh.
Many Nigerians, particularly the advocates of the Sovereign National Conference, have continued to argue and complain that Nigeria was created by imperial Britain without the inputs of the Nigerian people.
Similarly, many Deltans were asleep when the military announced the creation of Delta State, the people of Delta State never had the opportunity to decide how they are going to live together and how Delta State is to be run, the military created the state and handed it over to the politicians who are now deciding our fate, and so far our experience with the political class has not been pleasant.
Coming to the case of Anioma State, the situation is quite different. Anioma people have been in the tortious journey of statehood for more than half a century, so we have the time and enough time, even from now on to day Anioma State is announced as the 37th state of Nigeria, to chart a future for our dreamed state.
Anioma people must decide how Anioma State should be governed. The people should not wait for the politicians to sell them rotten bananas, rather they should go to the market to pick the type of banana they so desire.
Anioma people must draw the rules of engagement for politicians to follow. Further clarification on this point comes in part 11 of this episode.
For now, let us look at the burning issue of the moment, the geopolitical zone Anioma State should belong to.
We must tackle this contentious issue of the geopolitical zone head on, so we can have a Seamless referendum when the time comes.
As far as this writer is concerned Anioma State interests lie in the South East Geopolitical Zone, and I have my reasons, and I believe those who are opposed to zoning Anioma state to the southeast have their reasons too, so let’s put these reasons on the table and talk about them.
From what I have deduced reading from the articles of the opponents of Anioma State in Southeast zone, I can hardly pick out any tangible point from them, what I got from them is nothing but long mischievous epistles of obscured history, which they churn out to confuse Anioma people.
For me I am looking at the areas where Anioma’s interest lies.
- Beside the fact that Anioma is Ibo, a corrupt version of Igbo, by tribe and tongue, the micro economic activities of Anioma people are tied to the South East.Take a stroll to the River Niger Head Bridge, Asaba, 70% of those who cross the bridge on a daily basis are Anioma people and they count in thousands, they go to the South East for business. Now, do you know what is happening between Asaba and Onitsha, Anioma people are being passively extorted. Asaba to Onitsha is the costliest route in the entire Nigeria state. It costs N1,000 to N1500 for a bus ride to cross the River Niger Bridge, it is even much higher by bike, this is a distance of just 1.4 kilometers long. Transporters are having a field day on the route and nobody seems to say or do anything about the hardship Anioma people are suffering there. Nobody is regulating the activities of those sherlock transporters.
- The major vein, the supply line of the South East runs through the heart of Aniomaland, the Onitsha-Lagos Expressway, which is a major road use by most Anioma people on regular basis.There are now two bridges linking the South East heartland to the West, which are shared by Anioma. All these infrastructures, the Expressway, and the two bridges require regular maintenance.
- Anioma derived its energy mostly from Obosi, even though it is generated in Okpai, on Aniomaland. We still depend on Obosi for our electricity supply. That super electrical installation requires constant attention too.
- The River Niger which forms a natural boundary between South East and Anioma, is another area of common interest. The River Niger runs through the full length of Aniomaland and it requires regular dredging to prevent the perennial flooding that has devastated Anioma Communities over the years.
Put these common interests together, do we still doubt the fact that Anioma State interest is best served in the South East Geopolitical Zone, where the governors of the zone can collaborate to fix any problems of common interest to the people of the zone.
At this juncture, let me throw a simple question to the Igbophobia elements in Anioma, who want Anioma State zoned to South South, how do you think that the governors of the new Delta State, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River State will collaborate with Anioma State governor to maintain these infrastructures that lead to Igboland, when they have the West-East and the Coastal roads under construction to contend with?
So far the Lagos-Onitsha Expressway has been in a deplorable situation for the past years and unlike the southeast governors, I have not heard any governor of the South South raised a hoot about it.
Anioma State in the South South geopolitical zone will be a rudderless ship wandering in the wide Ocean without a course and a complete cut off from regional development plans, while Anioma State in Southeast is home, Anioma people have many things in common with Ndigbo and south east is where our interests are better served, where the governors of the zone can collaborate to solve a common problem affecting the people.
In the present political quagmire, which Anioma people found themselves, It takes a man of great vision and foresight, the person of the Most Distinguished Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, SNMN, the senator representing the good people of Delta North, otherwise called Anioma, at the 10th Senate, and the anchor of the final lap of Anioma struggle for statehood to put these factors into perspective for the good of Anioma people. He needs our full support.
So, Let’s stop dissipating energy about the zone Anioma State should be, Southeast geopolitical zone, it is.
At this point, I want to encourage those professors of history who are bamboozling Anioma people with distorted history, to rather focus their attentions on how to make Anioma State work for Anioma people, they should suggest ways to make Anioma State, a state that satisfies the dreams of Anioma people.
We can make Anioma State a model state in Nigeria, a state where things are done in the right and proper order.
Up next, Setting the goals for Anioma State
Frank Iroroh
Is a member of the Media and Communication Subcommittee of The Technical Committee On Anioma State Creation
