***On Agitation for Anioma State, it is the oldest agitation for states. I didn’t start it. It was started over 60 years ago before I was born and I grew up to meeting

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- AS the National Assembly embarks on another process of amending the 1999 Constitution, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatration, Senator Ned Nwoko, APC, Delta North has said that rather than totally discard the constitution as being canvased, it should serve as a working document.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, Senator Nwoko said the major problem with the implementation of the Constitution is the lack of patriotism of the Nigerian people.

“I totally understand what they (the people) are talking about. Personally I do not subscribe to the idea that we should now throw away the current position and create a new one. It’s a working document, it’s a workable document and it is a document that has been guiding what we’re doing in Nigeria so far.

“I think that what we are doing is sufficient for now, which is, looking at how we can improve on the constitution as it is. There cannot be any perfect constitution anywhere in the world. All that you can do is propose amendments and hope that those amendments go through so that whatever are the wishes of the people can be reflected” he said.

According to Senator Nwoko, the problem of the country “not about the constitution per se. The problem of Nigeria is not about the constitution, it’s about the people, it’s about us. How do we get things done? How patriotic are we? How law-abiding are we as people? How supportive are the governments at every level, from local government to state government, how are they supportive of the people, the people of Nigeria?

Speaking on the need for the creation of Anioma State, Senator Nwoko who noted that he was just continuing from where their forefathers stopped, said, “As to why Anioma State, Look, it is the oldest agitation for states. I didn’t start it. It was started over 60 years ago before I was born and I I grew up knowing about it. The likes of former Premier of the Western of Midwestern region, Dennis Osadebe started the whole clamour of Anioma State, then passed on to other leaders from Nosike to the Asagba of Asaba then and others. So I’m just continuing from where our forefathers stopped.

“It is something that has always been at the forefront of every Anioma son and daughter. Nobody, I don’t think there’s any sound minded person of Anioma origin that would say they don’t want Anioma State, no. The issue now for those who are neither here nor there is as to whether it should be zoned to South East or South South. But I have an answer for that. We’ve not come to that point yet of whether it will be zoned to South-South or South-East.

“When we get to that point particularly at the point of referendum, which should happen after the third reading as to whether we need a state. Yes, we do. We are Igbos, generally, we are Igbos.

“I’m sure you know that a lot of Igbos are also not happy that they are the only major group in Nigeria with only five states. All the other zones have six with the exception of one, North West that has seven, so why not?

“The Igbos have been clamouring for one additional state to make their own six. According to Ohaneze Constitution, there are seven Igbo states, but in reality, there are only five and those five are the South East states.
But Ohaneze see Anioma, that’s the area that I represent, as a state. They also see Ikwere which is part of River State as a state. So if you take Ohaneze Constitution, there are seven Igbo states. What we want is to be that equity state, that state that we’ve chosen to make up that one additional state for South-East. At the end of the day, whether it remains in South-East or South-South, it’s left for the people to decide.”