IKOT-EKPENE: The Obi of Obulu-Uno and Vice Chairman of the Delta North Traditional Rulers Forum, His Royal Majesty, Obi Henry Afamefuna Kikachukwu, on Friday reignited the call for the creation of Anioma State, declaring it a 71-year-old demand rooted in justice, identity, and inclusion.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers from the Anioma region at a public hearing of the National Assembly Constitution Review Committee in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, the revered monarch said the quest for Anioma State is a cry for freedom and dignity, not just politics.
“This is not a new request. It is a 71-year-old cry for justice, for recognition, and for a rightful place within the Nigerian federation,” Obi Kikachukwu told the committee. “Living without a distinct state is a form of modern slavery. It must end.”
He described the agitation as a united front supported by all traditional institutions and critical stakeholders in Anioma land, stressing that their physical presence at the hearing was deliberate and symbolic.
“We are here, not just as monarchs, but as custodians of our people’s hope,” he said, adding that the creation of Anioma State goes beyond political expediency and touches on the very soul of a people longing for identity and fair inclusion.
The monarch urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and members of the Constitution Review Committee to heed the demand as an obligation to justice and equity.
“Our people will be free,” Obi Kikachukwu declared. “The denial of statehood is not just administrative. It is a denial of our heritage, our identity, and our contribution to Nigeria.”
A large delegation of Anioma traditional rulers attended the hearing, reinforcing the depth of commitment to the statehood demand. As the session concluded, the unity and intensity of their appeal left a lasting impression, one that framed the Anioma quest not just as a plea, but as a historic declaration.
