AfriPulse
Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, has attributed the lingering unrest in the South-East to what he described as years of marginalisation by successive administrations.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the lawmaker argued that peace would return to the region if the Federal Government addressed two key issues, the creation of Anioma State and the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“The problem in the South-East has to do with the perceived injustice by successive governments,” Nwoko stated. “What needs to be done is the creation of a new state to make up the number to six, and then the release of Nnamdi Kanu. By the time you do these two things, I am almost certain that peace will return to the South-East.”
The South-East, currently made up of five states, has faced years of unrest linked to separatist agitations by IPOB, which seeks the establishment of an independent state of Biafra.
Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 after his re-arrest and extradition to Nigeria. He is currently facing terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Several political and traditional leaders from the region have repeatedly called for his release through a political solution, insisting that his continued detention fuels tension and insecurity.
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Nwoko echoed these sentiments, describing Kanu’s detention as unjust and a major trigger for instability in the South-East.
Meanwhile, the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has reportedly approved the creation of an additional state in the region to address the long-standing demand for parity with other geopolitical zones.
Senator Nwoko, who is championing the creation of Anioma State from the existing Delta State, expressed optimism that his proposal would be considered favourably.
“The National Assembly has set up a committee to determine which state to approve. There are about seven proposals from the South-East, and we are one of them,” he said. “At the public hearing in Enugu, we presented our case, and I am almost certain that Anioma will be chosen.”
The lawmaker also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would support the initiative, describing the creation of Anioma State as a historic gesture of inclusion.
“President Tinubu’s approval of Anioma State would be the best gift to the Anioma people and the Igbo nation as a whole,” Nwoko said.
Source: RipplesNigeria | Read the Full Story…
