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By Olomu Onyiye

It was the French poet, Victor Hugo that opined that “nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come”. Indeed, nothing can be truer when it comes to the noble quest for an Anioma State.

I’ve watched amused how some detractors of Sen Nwoko have picked up arms against him only for the bizarre reason that he did not come to them personally either to kowtow or make obeisance in acknowledgement of their superiority over all other Anioma sons and daughters.

But without attempting to impugn anyone’s arrogation of importance, would these folks have preferred a docile Senator who only sits in the coziness of the Senate Chambers virtually sleeping away or only contributing to the ‘iyes’ and ‘nays’ have it?

I believe that so far, Sen Ned has done well by pursuing the noble agenda of an Anioma State which from all intents and purposes is now hinged on the argument of the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ which is likely to be applied in addressing the injustice, lopsidedness and disparity against the South-East particularly in terms of Nigeria’s regional equations.

Indeed, what these naysayers will not admit is that their lame argument that Sen Nwoko’s political forebears were allegedly opposed to the annexation of Anioma State to the South-East was probably premised on the assumption at the time, that it was more economically profitable to be joined to the oil-rich South-South. As a trained Sociologist, I believe that our political forebears were too knowledgeable to have situated their preference on the dais that we as the Anioma people, are more of Bini ancestry than we are Igbo.

Moreover, what’s equally wrong with Senator Nwoko having to always visit Ministers, Presidential handlers and other critical stakeholders in pursuit of the wellbeing of his constituents who elected him for such and other sundry purposes?

For naysayers who must need give ‘a dog a bad name in order to hang it’, it should be told them that Sen Nwoko does not necessarily have to play to the gallery in executing his mandate. Here’s a man already globally acclaimed for his inputs in the Paris Club saga that saw to the forgiveness of the protracted and humongous debt that Nigeria owed nations of the Paris Club. What more can he then be looking for as he goes about executing his assignment and legitimately garnering for himself, self-fulfillment and self-actualization?

Lastly, let me advise that the naysayers should kindly face the fact that it’s grossly unplausible and unrealistic to scramble for the annexation of Anioma State to the South-South. Even our revered political forebears would have seen reasons against it.

Or, how would anyone have successfully justified an additional State for the South- South whilst the South-East which bears the Igbos, a major tribe in Nigeria, is unjustifiable left with only five (5) States along with its consequential economic, political, social and multicultural implications?