The United Igbo Elders Council, UNIEC Worldwide, has described the creation of Anioma State as a historical necessity and not a political convenience.

UNIEC in a statement by its Director General, His Lordship, Justice Alpha Ikpeama, National Director, Media and Publicity, Prof. Obasi Igwe, titled “Anioma State is a test of justice, a moment for history”, said that Nigeria stands once again at the threshold of a defining national decision with the creation of Anioma State.

It also said that it is a litmus test of Nigeria’s sincerity about justice, equity, and true federalism, adding that the creation of Anioma State is a test of justice and will be a moment for history.

The Igbo elders said that the renewed legislative momentum for the creation of Anioma State publicly affirmed under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio and driven with uncommon clarity by Senator Ned Nwoko, is not just another constitutional exercise.

“The creation of Anioma State is a litmus test of Nigeria’s sincerity about justice, equity, and true federalism. Let us be clear: the Anioma State creation question is not a political convenience. It is a historical necessity.

“For decades, the Anioma people culturally, linguistically, and historically aligned with the Igbo nation, have lived within a structural arrangement that has neither fully reflected their identity nor adequately served their developmental aspirations.

“Their call for a distinct federating unit is not rooted in division, but in dignity. Not in exclusion, but in inclusion. To ignore this demand any longer is to perpetuate a quiet injustice.

UNIEC said that beyond political and moral imperative, the endorsement of Anioma State by the National Assembly, with reported overwhelming senatorial backing, signals something deeper than legislative consensus, adding that it signals a national awakening.

Anioma State creation affirms that Nigeria, despite its many perceived contradictions, still possesses the capacity to correct structural imbalances.

“The administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu must now rise to the weight of this moment. History will not remember procedural delays. It will remember courage or the lack of it.

“If Nigeria truly seeks stability, then it must embrace fairness. If it desires unity, then it must institutionalize equity. Anioma State is one such opportunity.”

According to UNIEC, the proposed designation of Asaba as the capital of Anioma State, and Warri as the capital of a restructured Delta State, is both strategic and symbolic. Warri and Asaba will therefore be symbols of balance not division.

“Asaba represents the identity's cultural and political heartbeat long recognized by its people. Warri represents capacity and industrial and economic hub with the infrastructure to sustain administrative leadership.

“This is not a zero-sum arrangement. It is a model of balance Nigeria desperately needs, where identity and efficiency coexist, not compete.”

On what it described as the danger of delay in creating Anioma State, UNIEC said that Nigeria has a troubling history of acknowledging legitimate demands, only to suffocate them in endless committees, political hesitation, and bureaucratic inertia.

*This must not be another such story.

The constitutional process must be followed, yes, but it must not be weaponized as a tool of delay. Transparency, consultation, and legality are essential. But so too is urgency.

“Every delay deepens distrust. Every hesitation reinforces the perception that some regions must perpetually negotiate for recognition, while others take it for granted.

“Creation of Anioma State is therefore a defining choice for Nigeria.The creation of Anioma State, is bigger than Delta State. Bigger than the South-South. Bigger, even, than the South-East.

“It is about whether Nigeria is prepared to evolve into a federation that works for all its people, or remain trapped in a structure that serves only a few. This is a moment of reckoning. The National Assembly has taken a bold step. The Nigerian people are watching. The world is observing.

“Nigeria must now decide if it will act with justice or retreat into familiar hesitation. Anioma State is not a favor to the people. It is a right long overdue. To deny it is to deny the very principles upon which a just federation stands.

“To grant it is to send a powerful message that Nigeria, despite its challenges, is still capable of fairness, courage, and historic redemption. The time is not tomorrow. The time is now.”

(Vanguard)