Ika Igbo communities in Edo backs Anioma State creation, zoning to South-East

…Demand to be included in the proposed new state

The Ika Igbo communities in Edo State, under the leadership and coordination of Azuka Okah, have declared their full and unwavering support for the creation of Anioma State and its zoning to the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

They also demanded to be included in the proposed Anioma State.

They passionately appealed to the federal government, the National Assembly and other relevant institutions to listen to their cries and consider the overwhelming support for Anioma State Creation.

They made their position known at a well-attended gathering of the communities’ leaders, youths, elders, stakeholders and representatives of these communities, held at Igbanke in Edo State.

The communities, which are Igbanke, Iru, Ogbagie, Igbo-Giri, Owa Ri Uzo, Otobaye, Oghada, Ute-Oha-Eze, Ekpon and other neighbouring Ika Igbo aboriginal communities within Edo State, said their position reflects years of accumulated frustration, neglect, and marginalisation they experienced.

According to them, recognising Anioma as a South-East State would not only address marginalisation but also promote national unity, fairness and balanced development.

Speaking on the platform of The Voice of the Indigenous Ika Igbo Initiative in Edo State, the people lamented that despite their cultural, linguistic, and historical affinity with Anioma communities in Delta State and the wider Igbo nation in the South-East, they have remained politically stranded and administratively neglected within Edo State.

This sense of abandonment, they claimed, has persisted across successive administrations with little or no meaningful intervention from the state government.

They expressed deep frustration over the lack of basic infrastructure in their communities, highlighting poor road networks, inadequate healthcare facilities, underfunded schools, lack of potable water, and the near absence of government-sponsored development projects.

These conditions, they noted, stand in sharp contrast to the resources generated from their areas and the taxes paid by their people, with little to show for it in terms of development or representation.

They argued that Ika Igbo communities are among the most underdeveloped in Edo State, not because of a lack of potential or human capacity, but due to deliberate political marginalisation and exclusion from decision-making processes. They lamented that their voices are often ignored, their needs overlooked, and their identity continuously suppressed in a state where they are treated as outsiders despite being indigenous to the land.

Culturally and historically, the Ika Igbo people reaffirmed their strong ties to Anioma communities in Delta State and the broader South-East, as they share the same language, customs, festivals, traditional institutions, and worldview with their Anioma brothers and sisters.

To be a part of Anioma State is therefore not driven by sentiment alone, but by a genuine desire for inclusion, equity, and development, they explained, they said, adding that being part of Anioma State and zoned into the South-East would restore their cultural identity, strengthen political participation as well as open doors for targeted development initiatives that truly understand and reflect their realities.

They hailed the efforts of Senator Ned Nwoko, the lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, over his advocacy, which has rekindled hope among Anioma and Ika People across Nigeria and expressed confidence that with sustained support and unity among the people, the Anioma State project would eventually become a reality.

Azuka Okah, leader and coordinator of Ika Igbo Speaking Communities in Edo State, had called for unity, peaceful advocacy, and strategic engagement with relevant authorities.

He urged the youths not to allow frustration to turn into violence but to channel their energy into constructive dialogue, awareness campaigns and lawful agitation, noting that the struggle for Anioma State creation is a collective one that requires discipline, clarity of purpose, and unwavering commitment.