South East Reps Caucus Backs Creation Of Anim State

The South East Caucus in the House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the creation of Anim state as the additional state in Nigeria’s south east region.

If created, Anim state will be the sixth state in the region, thus bringing  the zone at per with other regions, which currently have six states except the North West which has seven states.

Having six states in the south east,  will also resolve the issue of marginalisation that the people of the region have complained of for years.

Speaking on the decision of the Caucus to unanimously support the creation of Anim state, Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North in the House of Representatives, said in a statement that the lawmakers agreed during a meeting held on Tuesday, in Abuja the nation’s capital, that when created, Anim will be self-sustaining economically, because of the abundant gas deposit in the area.

The proposed state, he said, is expected to be captured from Imo and Anambra state, adding that proposition has also been made for the creation of two other states from the zone; Adada and Anioma states.

“The ANIM proposal captures the agenda of long overdue state for South East which should emerge from the old imo and Anambra block which was the reason for my Orlu State proposal which has now been captured into the ANIM State, “ Ugochinyere said.

“Also our formal proposal for ANIM state was presented before our brother lawmakers from the South East who by majority votes have voted ANIM state as the consensus state proposal for South East agitation for additional state, consideration and voting for the second option is ongoing as I write which are Adada and Anioma proposals.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank my brother and Senator Osita Izunaso and my honourable colleagues from Imo State and the entire South-East for the show of love, consensus, sacrifice and understanding that has brought the weeks of searching for consensus and harmonization to an end. The critical point here is that no matter our desires, the interest of our people must always remain supreme.

“The East has spoken and we hope our brothers from different parts of the country will join this struggle to ensure that we reach the desired destination.”

Few days ago, a group, Adada State Movement, accused

Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delsa South in the Senate, of trying to frustrate the creation of the proposed from the south east.  state of Adada.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Ike Abonyi, its director of media and publicity, the group said Nwoko, who is not from the south-east, is attempting to “create confusion, and deny the region its rightful request for equity and justice”.

ASM urged all institutions involved in the state creation process, at federal, state, and regional levels, to adhere strictly to constitutional requirements, saying new states in the country should be created through parliamentary processes, not media statements or personal declarations.

“We commend the mature approach taken by concerned stakeholders despite provocations in the media, particularly from Senator Ned Nwoko who is not from the region,” the statement reads.

“Senator Nwoko has been attempting to rewrite history, create confusion, and deny the South East its rightful request for equity and justice,” the group said.