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By Iwemdi Nwaham

I am going to set this rejoinder as if responding on the WhatsApp group *ANIOMA POLITICIANS FORUM*, to address Nigerians, across board. My last article titled NED NWOKO HAS CROSSED THE RUBICON, published only a few days ago (Sunday 1st December 2024), surprisingly got rave reviews and commentaries from across the world. Friends from Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Canada, US, Europe, South Africa, etc, that are not on common platforms with me, reached me through phone calls and messages.

WHAT THE NIGERIAN CONSTITUTION SAYS ABOUT CREATION OF NEW STATES
Straight away, let’s get down to business. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, As Amended in 2018, states, in Chapter 1, Part II, Section 8, Subsections (a)- (d), page 34:

*New States and boundary adjustment, etc.*
8. (1) *An Act* of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state *shall only be passed if-*
(a) *A REQUEST, supported by at least two-third majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state)* in each of the following, namely-
(i) The Senate and the House of Representatives,
(ii) *The House of Assembly in respect of the area,* and
(iii) The local government council in respect of the area, is received by the Nation Assembly;
(b) *A proposal for the creation of the state is thereafter approved in a referendum* by at least *two-third majority* of the *people of the area where the demand of creation of the state originated;*
(c) The result of the referendum is then *approved by a simple majority of all the states of the federation supported by a simple majority of members of the House of Assembly;* and
(d) The proposal is *approved by a resolution passed by two-third majority of members of each house of the National Assembly.*

ANALYSES
8a. *Let us take it that already, there is a request,* that is the Bill already tabled by Distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko, which has gone through the 2nd reading; can we say it was supported by at least two-third majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state)? If the answer is NO, the next question is, when will this be, *in the affected area?* In the senate? In the HoR? And in the 36 State Houses of Assembly?

Clause 8b, provides for a *referendum in the AFFECTED AREA that desires a state and there must be a two thirds majority in support.*

Two questions here:
(i) Can the two thirds majority be easily procured, with the heavy polarisation our senator’s approach to this state creation issue has generated?
(ii) Even more important is that there will be a *referendum IN THE AREA the proposal affects* and the referendum will be approved by at least two-third majority of the people *OF THE AREA* where the demand originated”.
*Further question here is, WHERE IS THE AREA, now that our international lawyer of a senator is making us argue whether we will be in the South East or South South geopolitical zone?*

That this argument is on ground and tearing us apart, means that we the people, do not know with all certainty, what is in the submitted bill. *We do not know which communities make up our senator’s proposed Anioma state, apart from the man who wrote it* and submitted it on our behalf. Is that how a state is created, as per this constitution above? *And to me, this is the unkindest matchet cut inflicted on Anioma people by our distinguished Senator and international lawyer.*

Clause 8c is the most amorphous of this state creation conundrum. Let’s not dwell on it. Then after that comes the last clause…

8d. The successful bill so far, now goes to the National Assembly AGAIN, to be passed by two-third majority of members of each house of the National Assembly.

*My people, did our INTERNATIONAL LAWYER of repute not see these constitutional provisions? Did he read them? Did he understand them?* If he understands them, why are we splitting heads, ahead of the real toiling.

I have been writing, on this subject, as a stakeholder and a very concerned son of the soil. I want Anioma state created, but which Anioma state? If this opportunity is blown or bungled, where should the blame rightly go? Who and who will sit to review the processes and take stock? There are things Ned Nwoko alone knows that fellow Anioma leaders like him do not know, let alone the rest of us down there. And when I write, some hollow heads will begin to throw tantrums and insults and abuses at my person, totally incapable of discerning what is on ground. Let us ponder over a fundamental question: Will this Ned Nwoko sponsored Bill go through the Delta State House of Assembly and get approval?

PERSONAL ATTACKS ON ME
Let me address some personal references at this juncture:

(a) One Iroroh Frank said I worked for Umunede Community Bank and ran the bank down. *Hear him, “…Before then, Iwemdi Nwaham was a manager of Umunede Community Bank, a financial institution he mismanaged. He ran the bank to bankruptcy… leading to many local investors losing their hard earned capital…”*

*My response* : Yes, there was an Umunede Community Bank in Umunede, but there also was a Newroad Community Bank at Umunede. I was never associated with the Umunede Community Bank in anyway. I championed the setting up of the Newroad Community Bank. It was commissioned by the then Military Governor of Delta State (Ochulor) in early April 1995. I was the Chairman of the Board of Directors. This was about 30 years ago. And if someone from Umunede does not know these basic truths, then he was either not born or he was still running around his mother naked. And such persons have the temerity to open their foul bucal cavity at me. That is the tragedy of the country we have today. My mates who went for commercial banking licences in the 80s and 90s and stayed in Lagos did not have my predicament. Talking about IBTC and Zenith.

On 30th of May 1995, just two months into the existence of my community bank, it was burgled in the dead of the night, amidst very heavy torrential rainfall. *One of the security men on duty that night is still alive, by name Edemede (Mr. Felix Nta). The Company Secretary then was a popular lawyer from Mbiri. He is still alive.* The burglars smashed the strongroom and met only one hundred and twenty thousand naira, as supported by the book balances. And what did they expect from a young, rural community bank, just in operation for two months?

(b) Another person wrote, “Nwaham’s recent attack on the Esor of Umunede kingdom is still saved in my archives and we will remind him of disrespecting the Queen mother of an entire Umunede kingdom…Has NWAHAM tendered an apology to the Esor?”

Is this writer, if he is from Umunede not to be summoned and sanctioned by the Umunede community for bringing the royal family of Umunede into public discourse, unwarrantedly? I would have ignored this impostor, masquerading as an adult, but the subject needs to be clarified, having been brought to the fore.

Let me inform that my position, from zero party days, to the five leprous fingers party arrangement of Gen. Abacha, to my time in APC and to now in PDP, has always been that the *wives of traditional rulers (just like the traditional rulers themselves) are not supposed to play OPEN PARTISAN POLITICS,* where they embrace one political party, against the other parties in their domain. Secondly, for this woman under unprovoked reference, she has not only clinged to a political party, she has against all entreaties, nurtured a faction of her party, with which she uses to destabilise the peace of the party in her ward and LGA. And I still firmly maintain my position that the wife of a traditional ruler is not supposed to play open partisan politics. Is that what an ill-informed nincompoop will bring to public discuss to blur a matter of utmost importance to us all as Aniomas?

(c) Another personal attack is that I was state spokesperson for APC and left to begin to defend a party I once vilified. It is really sad that on the side of distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko, there is no one in control of the media brigands, that are falling over themselves to impress him. And so much has gone wrong, not only from the Senator’s approach on this all important matter, but from the unhinged mob of media hooligans, masquerading as journalists. Our people say, *if you eulogise your mother too much, you discredit your father.* And when reconciliation is difficult, we may not fully understand why. See how this whole hoopla about Anioma state creation is about only one man. Is that what it is supposed to be?

I was in APC from 2013/2014 under late Senator Pius Ewerhido, then later under Olorogun O’tega Emerhor. In 2018 or thereabout, Senator Omo Agege came in from Labour Party with Chief Great Ogboru and supplanted O’tega. Thus we all lost out. I opted to leave. O’tega remained. We all know how he is faring till date. Today, see the tussle for the soul of APC Delta State, by different claimants to the state chairmanship of the party. I am waiting to receive some of these political Lilliputians opening their foul mouths too wide.

One of these unhinged amateur media practitioners for Ned Nwoko even called me a “crook”, “miserable”. Haba. For what purpose? Over a matter of mutual interest that needs the strictest interrogation?

LEGAL CHARGES
I have consulted my lawyer to press charges. But after two days, my lawyer looked at the two names I wanted to teach a legal lesson and said, ” *Diokpa, there are people you will bleed ‘like the intestine of a goat destined for the pepper soup pot’, and nothing will come out of them.* Just forget”. I had to pause, but it is not over yet. There are so many things we encounter in the name of politics, we just endure for the sake of fatherland.

AGAIN, MY POINT
To stay focused, my point and approach is that we have an important matter, turned to our agenda as Aniomas, but *for it to succeed, we must interrogate the processes, systems and procedures. This ensued brouhaha is about Ned Nwoko only, since he has opted to write and submit his bill and then come back to begin to bring the people together. It is not about Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. It is not about His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborewerei.* It is not about me. *It is about Ned Nwoko; it is about what he has taken upon himself, singlehandedly to do and how he is going about it. And he is doing it all alone, mobilising only the “talakawas”. Where are the other community heads? Where are the other political heads?* If, in a club or Association you are ignored by a colleague in pushing an agenda, will you be part of the fight to actualise the agenda? But if someone sees things procedurally wrong and he/she wants to point it out, should the person be vilified for so doing, ignoring the real issue? Is state creation a one man show? How will his approach work, I still ask?

If this push for the creation of Anioma State fails, it will be a substantial blow to a noble cause. Who is going to work to salvage it tomorrow? Him Ned or the Anioma people? *This “lone ranger” approach must have its limit. If it is his strategy to battle some persons in our Anioma land, as a result of what the rest of us do not know, why use a sacred subject-matter dear to us?*

LASTLY
*On the APF platform, where are the “”Just Juls”, the Amakas, the Engr. Kens, the Kifordus, the Ifeanyichukwus, the Onwennas?”* Where are Anioma men and women of letters and understanding on all other platforms? I don’t know many of you in person but I have respect for your ability for critical thinking, even when I do not always agree with you. Ned Nwoko has said repeatedly that this is not a party affair, but an Anioma agenda. Okay. Why can’t someone articulate this thing better for some coconut heads to better understand.

*After all the insults and abuses, what will count is the document submitted, “the people” pushing it, “the people” on whose behalf it is being pushed, the constitutional provisions. Not me, not Okowa, not Sheriff.*

CONCLUSION
Honestly, dwelling on this matter is like pouring water on grinding stone and expect percolation. I like to engage brains, not pigheaded simpletons, who are only too quick to insult and abuse, while totally missing the point. *This may well be my last comment on this matter. The man being addressed seem not to be getting it, why waste precious time on media hooligans?*

Iwemdi Nwaham writes from Asaba.