Anioma State key to ending South-East marginalization – Ogbodo

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA – Media executive and Managing Partner of GMTNewsng.com, Chijioke Ogbodo, has declared that the agitation for the creation of Anioma State goes beyond political interest, describing it as a moral necessity and a structural corrective to Nigeria’s federal imbalance.

In a statement on Sunday, Ogbodo stressed that Anioma, the Igbo-speaking part of present-day Delta State, holds the key to ending South-East marginalization and strengthening national unity. He argued that with only five states, the South-East remains disadvantaged compared to other zones in representation and resource allocation.

“Anioma is not a contrived invention; it is a historical and cultural entity. Granting it statehood within the South-East would resolve both a structural anomaly and a deep identity question,” Ogbodo said.

He referenced the book Anioma State Creation: Scholarship on History and Identity, noting that academics such as Prof. Sylvester Monye and Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika have documented Anioma’s historical and cultural ties to the Igbo nation. Their works, he said, show that state creation is not opportunistic but deeply rooted in correcting colonial and postcolonial divisions.

According to Ogbodo, Anioma State would achieve three things at once: heal the wound of partition that severed Anioma from its Igbo roots, provide structural parity for the South-East within the federation, and affirm cultural identity without destabilizing Nigeria.

He commended Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, for elevating the agitation into mainstream legislative discourse, describing his advocacy as bridging the gap between intellectual scholarship and political action.

“Nigeria cannot achieve enduring stability without addressing its structural imbalances. Anioma, as the missing piece in the South-East, offers the most practical corrective,” Ogbodo emphasized.

He concluded that Anioma’s case is no longer just persuasive but urgent, insisting that embracing the demand would demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to fairness, inclusion, and federal balance.

“To ignore Anioma is to perpetuate an injustice that weakens the federation. To embrace it is to take a bold step toward consolidating Nigeria’s unity,” he said.

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