Saw this on https://www.facebook.com/osita.mordi?fref=nf

Anioma people had always been victims of domination real or imagined. It dates from the colonial era. They were balkanized and lumped for “domestic colonization” by the dominant Bini of old Benin Province and Urhobo of the old Delta Province. Abraka , an Urhobo town was at a time the headquarters of the old Aboh division. Leading to the neglect of core Ndokwa land while the Enuanis of Asaba had to fight to get their voice considered in the old Benin Province. It was strange that Anioma people throughout its colonial history was never consistuted into a distinct Igbo speaking province despite covering an area of over 7,000 km2 with a relatively large and sophisticated indigenous population.
Today , we have found ourselves mainly in a Delta State and as usual failed political leadership have not thought it wise to deliberate on our future in a Delta State , prospects of an Anioma State and our future in a Niger Delta region. This is critical because we are often considered now as a small minority in Delta State. Nigeria is going through a very critical time yet our people do not seem to ask ourselves questions and self-reflect. If Nigeria is to be restructured into regions could we be better and stronger position in the present South-south or in a Southeast? It should be noted that our present definition as part of Delta does have its own merits. These includes

1) More Capital for development –Delta is one of the richest states in Nigeria. Anioma hosts the state’s capital Asaba and this means a centre that will it will always attract government attention. Also Delta workers get one of the fattest salaries in the entire country. The Niger-Delta (Southern) region accounts for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s oil wealth translating to more than 80 per cent of the capital rose for the authorities for development. With the prospect of increment of derivation, the Niger Delta will be very rich and since an Anioma town is Delta’s capital, there will be spillover of some of the development to other Anioma towns gradually opening up the area.

2) Preservation of our minority identity-Despite being Igbos, Anioma people kind of cherish their own distinct sub-identity. Being in a Niger Delta region could project that identity since it is supposed to be a region for minorities.

However, there are possible and realistic demerits involved with associating or being placed in a Niger Delta region
1) IGBOPHOBISM –Believe it or not , Anioma people are Igbos. Since the Niger-Delta is projected as a minority region, this will undermine our interest . This is unfortunately the situation in the present Delta State. There are some evidences suggesting that we are actually the largest group in the state but anti-Igbo sentiments and indifference and lack of political will by Anioma elites and people generally have made us a “minority”. With an Anioma man as Gov, there is a growing trend to split Anioma people as if there are 3 different groups of Ika,” Igbo” and Ukwuani in oder to make it easier to lord over them and secondly to ensure they never come together and perpetually remain as “minorities”. If this trend continues it will have negative implications for us in a Niger Delta region.


2) POLICY OF DEVELOPMENT- With the policy of allocating a substantial part of oil revenues to oil producing areas, Aniomaland will not get that needed attention for development. This is reflected in the deliberate allocation of 50 per cent of the funds via the 13 per cent derivation funds to DESOPADEC, the duplication of projects, the fact that the federal government will never take Anioma alnd as an area of priority for development in the ethnic-sensitive Niger Delta etc. This also explains why the NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry cannot point to several projects that is worth mentioning in Anioma land. Also this explains why Anioma alnd despite its long stretch along the Niger was not considered to host a single river port because decision-makers assume that with four seaports at Warri, Sapele, Burutu and Koko, Delta State is already well adequately served.

3) Multiplicity of minority groups in the Niger Delta makes it so difficult to have a strong political clout in the region. In the Niger Delta now, the ethnic group of choice has become Ijaw fostered by the baseless claim of being “Nigeria’s fourth largest group”. There are other proper Niger-Deltans , Ikwerre( I will elaborate on this), Itsekiri, Edo, Ibibio, Efik, Ogoni etc. The Anioma people donot fit into this classification as “real” Niger Deltans. This also explains why Izu-Anioma is hardly invited to South-South meetings or gatherings. Occasionally , they invite some Ika and Ndokwa people with the assumption that these Anioma peoples might not be Igbo enough( they actually know these groups are Igbos) to “taint” the minority identity of the Niger Delta. Obasanjo Committee on the Niger Delta in 2005 had Abia and Imo states excluded ( but he included Ondo) from initiatives to develop the area and guess where else he excluded ? Anioma! This is because we are deemed as Igbos and should not “enjoy” what was meant for Niger Delta people.

4) The next question would be how come the Ikwerre and other Igbo speaking peoples of Rivers State are readily accepted as Niger Deltans whereas Aniomans who are grouped as Igbos despite some geographical uniqueness. The answers are as follows –
a)The Ikwerre and other Igbo speaking peoples of Rivers State tend to be “hostile” to their eastern Igbo kith and kin. The Anioma on the other hand especially those from the Aniocha-Oshimili axis are not or are just indifferent. If the Anioma had been hostile to their eastern kith and kin, they would have been regarded as “non-Igbos”. I even heard from some sources that the Ogba people of Omoku in Rivers State do not sell land to Igbos. Anioma people except for a small minority do not have this kind of mentality.
b)Most “core Niger Deltans” are often intimidated by the caliber of persons Anioma land has produced and keep producing. The human capital is quite rich considering the modest population of the people. On the other hand, the Rivers Igbos until recently did not really project themselves as a very resourceful people. They are too domestic (tied to Rivers State) and were easily manipulated by external forces to transfer unfounded hostilities even to their own detriment. A sort of emancipation came when Bayelsa was created and they became without doubt the most powerful political force within Rivers State.
c) The roles in the Civil war must have played a part. Anioma people in most part supported their eastern kith and kin and fought for Biafra producing thousands of veterans are a result. They were fully involved in the “Igbo coup” of January, 1966 and suffered in the counter coup of July, 1966. The Rivers Igbos did not play such a role like the Aniomas. In fact a good percentage of them, not all of course supported the Nigerian forces . They are also accused by the eastern Igbo to have absconded with their properties in Port Harcourt which is yet another source of conflict.
d) The Anioma people are homogenous being just of Enuani or Ukwuani stock. This is not the situation with the Rivers Igbos. The Ekpeye (Ahoada) speak a dialect which is practically a distinct Igbo language. Yet you have the Etche which is clearly related to Owerri axis of Imo and most Igbos including Anioma would naturally find the dialect quite intelligible. No special arrangement has been made to bring the Ogba, Ekpeye, Etche and Ikwerre together like Anioma people. They are even scattered in different senatorial districts. There has been some attempt to bring the Ogba and Ekpeye as one “Orashi ethnic group” but bringing them together will require some time and efforts. With the Rivers Igbo politically fragmented they cannot pose any threat to the political interests of their non-Igbo speaking neighbours.
e) Oil is no longer as expensive as it used to be but its still a powerful political tool in Nigeria and the main source of revenue for the federal government. Oil production from Anioma has grown substantially since the past few years and if Anioma had been a state, it would rank as the fifth most endowed state in oil and gas in the country. But its still not as substantial as the Rivers Igbo area. Port Harcourt and Omoku are generally regarded as oil and gas centers. From our experience, it seems that the greater oil you have in your area the more Niger Deltan you become.
f) Anioma is not of strategic interest to the federal government compared to the Rivers Igbo area. We dont have massive oil reserves , we are mainly not Igbophobists and lastly and very importantly we don’t have any access to the sea. The Rivers Igbos have all these “advantages”. It is therefore wrong for anyone to compare the Anioma to the Rivers Igbos including their interests.

5) If we are we constituted as part of a Niger Delta, it will bring to question the cohesiveness of the Anioma people. Some of our detractors would want to leave us fragmented and the result is that we will end up being different “ethnic groups” in the region. Yet another case of divide and conquer.
It should be noted that these are my personal reflections. Personally I prefer a political alliance with the southeast. I will write on that in subsequent write-ups. Opinions are welcomed!

One thing that I want to add is that Anioma people have huge reserves of petroleum. In fact out of all the ethnic groups that make up Delta state, Anioma people have the most oil reserves.

But more importantly, Anioma is also second to none in Delta state when it comes to productive human resources. This is the real wealth, and not oil reserves that will be exhausted one of these days.

I'm from Anambra, and I dey hail una

I generalissimo cheruv von Skog from the ukwangwa cultural area do welcome Anioma to the SE..
I hope that oyigbo, ogba/egbema/ndoni and abi LGs would follow their footsteps in rejoining their brothers in the SE.
I think Anioma sons should create a pressure group by name Anioma as 6th SE state,this would force ambivalent SE Igbos to support the creation of Anioma state.
Salut!!