If there is any separate and distinct tribal
group that has been contributing a lot to the
development of Nigeria, it is none other than
the Igbos of delta state. I believed that if
IBB’s regime had given us our cherished
Anioma State, we would have fared better than under the present gang-like hegemony of
the Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ezon, Isoko and Ijaw. We
never bargained for this present raw deal with
IBB. In fact, we were better off under the
Benin Kingdom than under the present Urhobo
‘Korokoro’ arrogant domination and hegemonic tendencies. One of the basic problems with most ethnic
and tribal groups in the South is that they do
not forgive. We always have this tendency to
add new grudges on old grudges which does nothing but
create negative multiplier effects. While the North is moving
on, even though there are proven cases of wide spread poverty in that region, the South is always antagonising
itself. What has happened to our Southern Governors meeting which
was initiated by Tinubu and others? It has faded as quickly
as it was started and yet the Northern Governors Forum is
still on course. “Ego-massaging” is daily killing the South, and
yet we claim superiority in the Education sector. Acquired
education, which ought to act as a catalyst to forging closer unity and ties among us, has seemingly become irrelevant in
our quest for a united front. Education is supposed to be power but in the South, because
of our ego and pride and this innate tendency to sell out over
a pot of pottage, we have deliberately refused to use our
education for effect. We are always busy fighting ourselves.
Honestly, I think we need to initiate the process of de-
schooling ourselves. On the 27 of August 1991, when IBB’s regime created Delta
and Jigawa States among others, there were murmurs when
Asaba and Dutse were strangely chosen as state capitals
instead of Warri and Hadeija. The people of Warri and Hadeija
protested but IBB’s regime stood its ground. Even Delta Igbos
were not happy that they were not given Anioma State. IBB had simply thought he’d killed two birds with one stone by
merging the two agitations { Delta and Anioma States} into
one, but what he created was a hotchpotch and a terrible
amalgam. Delta state is literally the ugliest hippopotamus I
have ever seen. One of the dangers in the game of numbers is that the
Urhobos never hid their plan to deny Ika Igbos the benefits
that go with a State capital. They openly proclaimed it that
Delta Igbos will never see the light of development. And
since that State was created, they have been behaving true
to their primeval proclamation with pure antics. Going purely and cunningly by the caveman’s logic, Asaba, the State
capital, is still as it were when it was created in 1991- a
complete derelict of a capital. This is sad. The irony of this act of impunity is that the same people who
are fighting for injustice in the Niger Delta are deliberately
and consciously denying the Igbo-speaking people justice in
Delta State. The ubiquitous James Ibori, as a former governor
of the state, was virtually operating from Warri, leaving
Asaba in the most despicable state of disrepair. How can you be crying foul against the Federal government and fighting
for justice when your stock is virtually denying Igbos in Delta
State the same justice? Yet, in the North, typical of their characteristic homogeneity,
the people of Hadeija have since forgotten and forgiven and
had made up and moved on, with the people of Dutse. May I
please remind the Urhobos that the Igbo culture area of Delta
state, as was thoroughly studied by the late Professor Mike
Onwuejeogwu, though with some historical variances here and there, comprised {amongst others} the following towns
and villages; Asaba, Ibusa, Okpanam, Ugbolu, Anwai, Igbodo,
Achalla. Ogwashi-ukwu, Ubulu-ukwu, Ubulu-Okiti, Obior,
Issele-Ukwu, Okwe, Agbor, Umunnede, Ekwuoma, Issele-
Mkptime, Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Olona, Onicha-Ugwu, Illah, Ezi,
Ebu, Idumuje-Unor, Idumuje-Ugboko, Akumazi-Umuocha, Kwale, Utagbu-egbe, Utagbu-Unor, Obinomba, Obiarukwu and
Owerri-Olubor. These are towns and villages inhabited by human beings, not
cockroaches. They have been dominated, made pauperised
and completely alienated by the Urhobos in criminal
collaboration with their kiths and kin. None of the
aforementioned towns and villages have witnessed any
atom of development since that state was created. Every development is channelled to Warri, Sapele, Oghara, and
Ughelli - the homes of the Urhobos, Itsekiris, Izons, Isokos
and the Ijaws. What crime have we committed? After all, we never had the
slightest premonition of IBB’s intention when that creation
was about to be announced. All that everyone knew was
that, two states were requested from Bendel, and the
likelihood was that it would only get one. Again, most of the
Igbo speaking towns never bargained for the capital to be in Asaba. Even in our quest for Anioma State, it was agreed that the
capital must be central to act as a centrifugal pull, and not
push, to its inhabitants. In other words the chosen Anioma
State capital would have pulled people to it and not push
people away from it for lack of space. So, what crime did we
commit that is beyond the redemption of the Urhobos? It beggars belief for some to have argued and still argue that
Asaba was chosen because IBB’s wife, Mariam, was from that
town. As far as I am concerned, that argument did not and
still does not hold water to this very day. Had IBB a wife in
Dutse which, against all odds and bets, was the chosen
capital of Jigawa instead of the more favourite Hadeija town? If your answer is a definitive no, then throw such
insinuations about Asaba into River Sapele for good. Besides, of social relevance here is the fact that most of the
legacy of developments in this area were the ones provided
by Col. Ogbemudia during the military regime of General
Yakubu Gowon. The roads linking up most of these
communities were constructed under his government. The
general hospitals and very clean public pipe borne water were provided by him. Today, all the public taps have dried up.
The hospitals are just “mere consulting clinics”. Most of the
feeder roads Ogbemudia constructed are still better than the
new ones that were done afterwards. A typical example is
the old road linking Asaba, Ibusa, Ogwashi-ukwu, Ubulu-
ukwu, Obior, Umunnede to the present newly expanded Benin / Onitsha express road, which was constructed after
the civil war. That road is still better than the ones other
regimes- put together- have constructed in subsequent years
in that area. Ogbemudia’s record held him in good stead that when he
contested the governorship election of the then Bendel State
under the NPN ticket, against Prof. Ambrose Ali in the1983
election, he swept the polls in that area to the discredit of the
UPN. His past record of performance spoke for him. And up to
this date, |I still reckoned he is the best. Whatever oil money |Ibori got from the federation account he literally ‘drank’ like
water with nothing to show case in these Igbo communities. I hope Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Daniel Okumagba, and Rtd
General Paul Omu, who were both alumni of Saint Thomas
Teacher Training College, Ibusa, and others, will re-adjust
their definition of injustice. Let them pay a visit to their alma
mater and I can assure them that they will develop goose
pimples. If they feel that the injustice of the Niger Delta is unmerited, then they should check their glaring injustice
against the Igbo people of Delta State. No tribe has the
monopoly of violence. The fact that our people have not
reacted does not depict cowardice. Our stoical silence is philosophical and historical.
Philosophical because we are a mature people. And, historical
because of the seemingly heroic act of our two sons, Major
Chukwuma Nzeogwu {from Okpanam} and Captain Tim
Onwuatuegwu { from Illah} in the 15 January 1966 coup to
which our people are still being held some time in opprobrium. The area still has people of calibre, namely: Prof. Pat Utomi,
Prof. Nwawolo, Prof. Okonjo, Dr. Okonjo Iweala, Prof. Fidelis
Odita { QC and SAN },Col. Nwawo, Col. Okwechime, Col.
Achuzia, Prof. Okoh, Prof.Emenanjo, Prof. Onwuachi, Prof.
Elueze, Prof. Edozie, Prof. Emmanuel Nwanze, Mike Ovie {MD,
Zenith Bank}, Sabastin Adigwe {MD, Afrique Bank}, Atuche Francis { MD, Bank PHB}, Tony Elumelu {MD, UBA} and an up
and coming sharp chap called Mr. Rowland Nwanze. With what I saw in these areas when I went home in October
2007, I just hope that one day, a push will not become a
shove. I also pray that one day, these oppressors will be
given their so called “genuine Delta State“, believe it or not,
it would be good riddance to bad rubbish. Go, soak yourself in
your crude oil but the present fact remains, that whenever you point one of your accusing fingers to the Federal
government for the neglect of the Niger-Delta, you forget
that the other four fingers are pointed towards you. If these people, shouting injustice, would be honourable and
sincere enough to themselves, let them show their humanity
by embarking on a fact-finding mission of the Igbo culture
area of the state. They will be ashamed and shocked of what
they will discover. It is poverty, misery and neglect of a
people callously being executed by “educated” Urhobos as pre-planned, since 1991. Most developments in these
communities are simply being executed through self-efforts. To most Urhobos and their kindred-spirit, it is better for the
North to seep the crude oil than for their closest neighbours
to enjoy it. It is this same surreptitious and slippery attitude
that they exhibited during the Biafran war, supporting
General Gowon to keep Nigeria one and to annihilate us. Today, it is a fact which has come to dawn on all of us that
the chickens have come home to roost. Whether we believe
it or not, the three regions in the South have been humiliated
in one way or the other by the same North in systematic
fashion. First, it was the Igbos during the civil war. Second,
was the Yorubas in the light of the arrogant and criminal annulment of the June 12, 1993 election; and finally, the
Niger-Deltans who are now feeling the heat from the same
North. The final onslaught against the whole South by the North is
now on cause; and that is, to make sure that they bring the
Southerners to their knees until they learn to wink no more.
Their mission statement of the early1960s as proclaimed by
their leaders, of throwing the “Koran into the Atlantic ocean,”
is about to be accomplished. The interpretation of that aphorism for those who care to know is simple. It means
partly, the conquest of the South. And I can assure all Southerners that the North will succeed if
we continue with this our braggadocio, endless divisive
bickering, chronic unforgiven spirit, stereotypical and
antagonistic attitude and blame game. May I use this
opportunity to call on the South to rally round Alhaji Asari
Dukobo and to also take cues from Bode Eluyera’s analysis of our luggardist Nigeria. Besides, I just hope the Urhobos will change for good and use their numbers for the positive and even development of the state. What is good for the geese is also good for the ganders. “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere”. It is unfortunate that our crisis of identity extends to our own Igbo brothers and sisters across the Niger who are supposed to know better. Unfortunately, they regard themselves, as ''the proper Igbos” while the Delta Igbos or Ika Igbos or Western Igbos are often lumped and regarded derogatorily as “Hausa-Igbos”. This is despite the solid research and studies to the contrary by the late Prof. M. A. Onwuejeogwu. His studies, and here I refer to Nri Museum, show that there is no nomenclature like “Hausa Igbo” or “proper Igbo”. Igbo is Igbo! Period. These “proper Igbos” exhibited this same ambivalent and marginal behaviour towards our Biafran officers of Delta Igbo extraction during the civil war. The “proper Igbos” should get it into their heads that there is strength in numbers and that we feel unperturbed about their historical ignorance about us, because all Delta Igbo communities know their origins and history. I rest my case! Spread The Word

Sounds interesting, I need to go back and finish reading. BTW, 1st to comment before all this kids come counting!

PS: Mods, I think this is a front page material, yeah that's my words!

Hmm, interesting

Anioma have to reach out to their brothers across the Niger.

Lier, political lier, lie, lier, liest. In as much as am in support of the creation of a new state in the east, for equity and justice. But you going about castigating the urhobo tribe is out of place being that:
1. Warri which you calling an urhobo city is false, we indigenous ijaw, indigenous itsekiri and urhobo , hence warri like its popularly called is a no man's land.
2. Before you shouting injustice, the real injustice was when ibb choose his wife's town asaba as capital, when everybody knows it shouldnt have been so.
3. Politics is game of number, before a minority tribe can win an election, not just in delta state, there have to be a good reason. We all know the urhobo is the 6th largest tribe in nigeria, so you should know where am driving at.
4. We are just having the 4th election after the creation of the state, as you know thief ibori an urhobo man used 2 terms, criminal uduaghan stole 2 terms, more over, even though non of our past and present governor have good track records, so also no anioma person that have contested at that level have good track records. Even the ogboru that we all see as the messiah, as far as am concern havent done what we will say, he will make a great governor. During the last election, We were left with just 4 guys(2 urhobo, 1 itshekiri and 1 anioma guy, these guys have no known achievement, except for the ogboru guy) Probably if prof. Pat utomi will contest as a governor, he will get every deltan's vote, but then, thats if we wont have the election rigged by pdp.
5. Please stop this lie, in terms of government development, it is the same as what you will obtain from ughelli, kwale, sapele, agharo, ukwale, ibusa, abraka etc. The bottom line is, since inception the government of delta state has been visionless,the little or no government presence you get in anioma towns is what is obtain in other towns across the state. What you see in warri isnt governments effort, its the presence of oil company, vibrant economic activities, high private investments.
6. All those anioma sons and daughters like prof. Utomi, dr. Iweala and others can attract private investors to that region, and then that will spread to other towns of the region. Let met mention how asaba is the beauty of delta state. Kwale is as populated and vibrant as sapele and ughelli abeg. Make i stop hear first.

What a waste of valuable brain power. Go and ask your political leaders if this your argument is what they want.

You are an academic and not a dirty politician so cool out on things you do not know their inner machinations.

deandavid: Lier, political lier, lie, lier, liest. In as much as am in support of the creation of a new state in the east, for equity and justice. But you going about castigating the urhobo tribe is out of place being that:
1. Warri which you calling an urhobo city is false, we indigenous ijaw, indigenous itsekiri and urhobo , hence warri like its popularly called is a no man's land.
2. Before you shouting injustice, the real injustice was when ibb choose his wife's town asaba as capital, when everybody knows it shouldnt have been so.
3. Politics is game of number, before a minority tribe can win an election, not just in delta state, there have to be a good reason. We all know the urhobo is the 6th largest tribe in nigeria, so you should know where am driving at.
4. We are just having the 4th election after the creation of the state, as you know thief ibori an urhobo man used 2 terms, criminal uduaghan stole 2 terms, more over, even though non of our past and present governor have good track records, so also no anioma person that have contested at that level have good track records. Even the ogboru that we all see as the messiah, as far as am concern havent done what we will say, he will make a great governor. During the last election, We were left with just 4 guys(2 urhobo, 1 itshekiri and 1 anioma guy, these guys have no known achievement, except for the ogboru guy) Probably if prof. Pat utomi will contest as a governor, he will get every deltan's vote, but then, thats if we wont have the election rigged by pdp.
5. Please stop this lie, in terms of government development, it is the same as what you will obtain from ughelli, kwale, sapele, agharo, ukwale, ibusa, abraka etc. The bottom line is, since inception the government of delta state has been visionless,the little or no government presence you get in anioma towns is what is obtain in other towns across the state. What you see in warri isnt governments effort, its the presence of oil company, vibrant economic activities, high private investments.
6. All those anioma sons and daughters like prof. Utomi, dr. Iweala and others can attract private investors to that region, and then that will spread to other towns of the region. Let met mention how asaba is the beauty of delta state. Kwale is as populated and vibrant as sapele and ughelli abeg. Make i stop hear first.

thank you jor, you spoke my mind in detail. I can't start writing all these knowing fully well OP doesn't understand the nature of what he is talking about.

ANIOMA
OFU OBI

[s]2. Before you shouting injustice, the real injustice was
when ibb choose his wife's town asaba as capital,
when everybody knows it shouldnt have been so.[/s]

And before i forget, the present governor of delta state is an itshekiri man, a minority tribe to both urhobo, ijaw, anioma, maybe even isoko too, but you know what happened na, pdp things. So my brother, the thing rob everybody, ijaw, isoko, anioma and even urhobo. The reason being thatwe havent done any election in delta and no credible contestant too. Make prof. utomi or dr. Noi contest and see if we all no go pack our vote for them.