subject: The Umu Anioma Foundation and the task of making Anioma Nigeria's 37th state [print this page] The Umu Anioma Foundation and the task of making Anioma Nigeria's 37th state
On June 20, 2010, the Umu Anioma Foundation created by Prince Ohai, an Anioma indigene based in United States announced the successful unveiling of what the Group called "new Anioma logo". The logo which represents the past, present and future of Anioma people carries number "37" presenting the region as the 37th unit of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the message "Ofu Obi Bu Ike Anyi" (Unity is our strength)
The Umu Anioma Foundation Inc is a Non Governmental Profit Organization incorporated under the Georgia law on June 11, 2010 not affiliated to any religious or political group whatsoever. Membership of the Organization encompasses Anioma indigenes with sheer aims and visions of contributing to the development of the region. Major decisions of the Organization emanates from the board of directors set up to govern it. Prominent members of the Foundation include Queenesther Nwaise, Clementina Unoma Nicholas, Vincent Ngozi Mokwenye and Anthony Ndikanwu.
The Umu Anioma Foundation believes that the only means through which the region can develop is its official recognition as one of the states that make up the Nigerian polity. The region which is one of the major oil producing areas remains grossly undeveloped with no visible signs of infrastructural development even in the face of catastrophic and dreadful erosion threatening to sweep up the region. Majority of the region's representatives have also failed in both the upper and lower chambers to effectively reward the indigenes with developments and have circumvented acting towards easing the people's afflictions and anguishes.
There are also those who believe that development is far from the region because it is lumped with other ethnic-groups with dissimilar cultural kinship, a situation that has hindered the flow of growth in the area. Not a few also believe that the related Igbo ethnic-group has failed in its kinship expectations to in helping the people advance the agitation for a separate state cause. The feeling is that people have become silently disregarded, worsened by the remiss of the Federal Government towards the agitation for a separate state. The agitation for Anioma State is a 59 year-old project, now older than the Nigerian federation itself, still waxing stronger in the face of stiff disagreement by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Many times, states have been created in the country by the Gowon, Murtala, Babangida and Abacha regimes but the Anioma State have been left to exist only in the minds of the people like an illusion without any explanation from the governments even though the agitation remains the oldest and meets with set criteria. The attempt first opposed and suppressed in 1951 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the House has not died in the hearts of the people.
Critics and friends of the region alike believe that the Anioma people have been lethargic and languid towards winning a separate state from the Federal Government which why the agitation has remained a mere dream and not realism. They further maintain that as the older generation of Anioma agitators passes away, only a few members of the present family have energetically made known their commitments towards the Anioma cause. Thus much as the region has produced successful politicians, academics, technocrats, leaders of thoughts, sports men and women and stakeholders that have ridden on the strength of the Anioma nation, many of them continue to turn blind eyes to particular issues that unease the people. Many youths of Anioma extraction are inexcusably, unwarrantably and indefensibly ignorant of the towns and communities that make up the region.
Several Anioma personalities serving the government only recall that the Anioma State cause is a dignified one only after they have left offices because they experience one form of marginalization or the other inside lonely retirement homes. Politicians have also trickily used the cause to gather support for themselves only to abandon it upon arrival at government houses. Support of royal fathers from the region is also deficient. It could be argued that only a few Anioma monarchs have genuinely shown interest in the Anioma State cause and have spread the message beyond areas of their traditional jurisdiction. The Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien is prominently regarded to fall within the group of Anioma monarchs in the hunt for a separate state for the people.
What this gives is a depiction that the Umu Anioma Group definitely requires an enlightenment battle to achieve their basic aim of Anioma State since there is no doubt that only "a unified single voice that is calling for statehood for our dear Anioma land" will ensure that a state is carved out for the people. The Umu Anioma Group may also have to work closely with the traditional rulers of the Anioma communities to achieve better results, first by enlightening them on the benefits of statehood within the context of the Nigerian society and delegating the monarchs to reach out to the grassroots from where the idea will be forced down the throat of the Federal Government. Radical peaceful but approach may be necessary to ensure that the state is handed the people.
The Group may also have to work closely with the other ethnic-groups in Delta State who already are crying fowl on the lumping of the Anioma people in the state. For one, the other ethnic groups have reservations for Asaba as the state capital, which is why no Anioma indigene has emerged as the governor of the state since the creation of the state 19 years ago by the Ibrahim Babangida administration. If the other ethnic groups in the state are pushing for a state for the Anioma people because they intend to see them exit the state and the Anioma are also doing so, surely they Federal Government will accord Anioma State with quicker consideration.
For Umu Anioma, working with the rest of Nigerians to ensure that developments reach the Anioma will mean positioning its presence at least in Asaba, Abuja and one South-eastern city. It is an idea that will famously make Umu Anioma a household name on the visionary road to winning the much sought-after Anioma State for its people. In all, the Group has demonstrated that "Igwe Bu Ike" with a membership strength of nearly 2,000 still running. It is a group that everyone is willing to give in his/her best for the Anioma people.
Again, the Group has only established that with collective decisions and the people holding their own destinies in their hands can succeed where political office holders and their representatives have failed dolefully. The Group is demanding is the collective efforts of the people as a requisite for making Anioma land the best place for all which is now and never. With radical approaches the Group has also willed that there is no better moment than now to ensure that development reaches Anioma land. The distinct logo design tells it all in a better language comprehensibly explicable to every illustrious son and daughter of the land.
Interestingly, the Group has set the ball rolling with the unmasking of a logo which will expectedly convey the message to the Federal Government that only the creation of Anioma State will guarantee the sense of belonging of the people in one Nigeria since there are much smaller states in the country that are incomparable to Anioma in geographical size, language homogeneity, cultural affinity, history of origin, economic reliability, expression of the people to live as one and other standards set for actualization of a state in the country. If all of these are a true consideration of what should form a state in the definition of the Nigerian constitution, then Anioma by far should constitute a state in Nigeria.
The Umu Anioma Group is an online group open to every Anioma indigene including political office holders and top government functionaries who could as well utilize the opportunities presented by the Group to spread developments to their own Anioma land. As the convener has stated "There is no sitting on the fence for anyone single member". Everyone needs to act positively towards the development of the region. Indigenes with dreams and visions towards leaving positive and indelible impacts on Anioma may register their membership on facebook group of "Umu Anioma Foundation" and their membership will be warmly welcomed.
