By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

The Anioma State Creation Movement has commended the National Assembly Joint Committee on Constitution Review for unanimously endorsing the creation of a new state in the South East.

The movement, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos by its Media Director, Chief Tonnie Oganah, described the decision as a bold and historic move toward achieving equity and restoring balance in Nigeria’s federal structure.

Oganah said that the NASS approval, which came during a two-day retreat in Lagos, marked a major breakthrough in the long-standing agitation for an additional state in the South East.

He said that the South East is currently the only geopolitical zone with five states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, saying “other zones have six states each, except the North West, which has seven”.

According to him, the NASS endorsement represents a significant step toward ensuring justice for the Igbo nation and fulfilling the constitutional promise of fairness among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Oganah expressed the movement’s gratitude to the National Assembly for recognising the South East’s long-standing demand for parity.

He said that the decision reflected the spirit of inclusion and national balance.

“Anioma people support the proposal as the first step to equalising the Igbo nation in Nigeria,” he said.

He said that ensuring equal state creation across all six geopolitical zones would strengthen democracy, unity, and the credibility of Nigeria’s federal system.

“For fairness and stability, all six zones of Nigeria should have an equal number of seven states each, just like the Northwest.

Oganah also highlighted the economic benefits of state creation, saying it would create jobs, empower young people, and drive grassroots development.

According to him, Sen. Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, is working tirelessly to actualise the Anioma State creation in 2025.

“The creation of Anioma State is not just a local ambition—it is a step toward restoring fairness in Nigeria’s federal structure and empowering the Igbo people politically and economically,” Oganah said.

Speaking on Anioma’s cultural identity, Oganah reaffirmed that the proposed state remained part of the Igbo nation and naturally belongs to the South-East.

“Even though we have lived peacefully in the South-South, our cultural identity remains clear.

Anioma means ‘the good land’, and it deserves a place among its brothers in the South-East,” he said.