Obidigbo Decries Needless Rancour Over Additional State For South East

 Obidigbo decries needless rancour over additional state for South East

ELDER Statesman, Dr Chike Obidigbo, has urged caution over the ongoing contentions over where the additional state for South East should be carved out from, saying that the disagreements are not necessary.

Recall that during their two-day retreat in Lagos State, which held between October 24 to 25, the National Assembly Joint Committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution approved the creation of an additional state for the South East geopolitical zone.

The committee noted that the gesture was to address the imbalance in the number of states across the country, pointing out that if ratified, the additional state will increase the number of states in the zone from five to six like other regions.

But, no sooner was the announcement made than various interest groups started jostling for a special consideration, including those agitating for Adada, Etiti and Orlu states as well as the proposition for Anioma to be added to the zone.

Reacting to the development, Dr Obidigbo regretted the political tricks behind the attempt to address the structural marginalisation of South East, stressing that there was a covert effort to bring disunity among Igbo, especially with those currently lumped into South/South geopolitical zone.

He noted that instead of heating up the polity with divergent agitations for the additional state, leaders of the Igbo nation under the auspices of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo should convene a meeting to thoroughly examine the various demands to arrive at an amicable resolution.

“Adada is on record as one of the oldest demands for the creation of state. But, then, we have heard the merits of creating an Etiti State by carving out homogenous communities from the existing five states in South East.

“In my opinion, if Etiti State is given priority consideration, Anioma should come as a separate state when the proposed one state from each of the various six geopolitical zones would be considered.

“I am compelled to take this position due to the fact that unlike during the military regimes, the state creation effort would still go through a referendum. And, I do no think that Delta State House of Assembly would readily vote for an Anioma State as an appendage of South East,” Obidigbo explained.

He disclosed that some external forces were behind the arguments and proposition for Anioma State to be joined to South East, remarking that the political design of those pushing that agenda is to throw up disunity within the body of Igbo caused by the malicious notions of core and peripheral Igbo.

According to the Elder Statesman, the reality of the seven states of Ohanaeze has removed the doubts about the existence of Igbo populations outside the South East, adding that in order to run away from the complexity of ensuring homogeneity of component communities, the Etiti option presents as a low hanging fruit.

He stated: “I think the issue of geography should be respected. If the Igbanke people in Edo State agree to be part of Anioma and Igbo communities in Benue and Kogi agree to be part of Adada, it would be left for Igbo leaders to decide on which state to take pre-eminent consideration.

“And, don’t forget the political office holders in those areas would be disposed to vote according to where they feel that their electoral bread is well buttered. I appreciate what Senator Chinedu Nwoko is doing in terms of reaching out, but the ultimate decision would be that of group and not a single individual.”