An open Letter On the Desirability of Anioma State Creation – A Call for National Healing
By Dr. Omenazu Jackson
To:
The President of the Senate, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen
Distinguished Senators and Honorable Members of the National Assembly
Introduction
For over four decades, the Anioma people of Delta State have lived with the scars of political subjugation, marginalization, and systematic exclusion. The call for Anioma State creation has echoed through successive administrations, national conferences, and state creation exercises. Yet, despite their patience and resilience, their dream remains unrealized.
The Nigerian National Assembly, as the voice of the people and custodian of the nation’s conscience, now holds in its hands the opportunity to wipe away these tears and bring long-overdue healing.
Any society that holds the chain of justice refusing it to cut, holds the chain of development refusing it to regress.
Leadership and the Burden of Compassion
Leadership is a burden, and only the compassionate heart can carry it with an untainted smile.
Senator Ned Nwoko, one of your own, has shouldered this burden for Anioma with uncommon courage. He has revived the call for Anioma State creation with the sincerity of a patriot who believes that a stronger Nigeria must be built on justice, fairness, and equity.
Distinguished Senators and Honorable Members, his plea is not a cry of isolation, it is the cry of millions whose loyalty to the Nigerian project has been tested by decades of neglect.
Historical Context
Anioma’s demand is not new. From the Murtala/Obasanjo administration to the 1996 state creation exercise under General Sani Abacha, Anioma leaders and delegations have consistently presented memoranda seeking recognition. At various constitutional conferences, the case for Anioma State has been laid bare, yet never actualized.
Meanwhile, other regions have had their cries heeded, receiving new states as instruments of equity and development. Why then should Anioma be left perpetually at the margins?
Why the National Assembly Must Listen
The creation of Anioma State is not a political favour— it is a constitutional necessity, a moral obligation, and a tool for national cohesion. By granting Anioma State, the National Assembly will:
Heal a people wounded by neglect.
Strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure with greater balance.
Prove that our democracy thrives on fairness and justice, not selective inclusion.
A Call for National Healing
Nigeria’s challenges demand unity, not division. They demand justice, not exclusion.
Anioma State will serve as a beacon of hope—not just for Anioma people, but for every Nigerian who believes in fairness as the foundation of nationhood.
Only a nation united in purpose can be united in progress.
Distinguished lawmakers, you have the chance to prove that history will remember this Assembly as the one that halted four decades of political subjugation and wiped away the tears of Anioma.
Conclusion
Senator Ned Nwoko has done his part. He has carried the burden with compassion, raising the voice of his people with dignity. Now it rests with you, his colleagues, to listen— not with political ears, but with the conscience of statesmen.
The Anioma people are not asking for privilege; they are asking for justice. They are asking for healing. They are asking for Anioma State.
The National Assembly must act boldly, decisively, and patriotically.
Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR)