Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reparation and Repatriation, Senator Ned Nwoko, has called on the Anioma people of Delta State to fully embrace their Igbo roots.
Speaking in Asaba at a conference organised by the Igbo Unification Movement in collaboration with the Ndi na Asu Bia Socio-Cultural Organisation, he urged Anioma to unite with their eastern brothers.
The event carried the theme “Igbo Bu Ofu” (Igbos are One).
In a statement on Friday, Nwoko praised the organisers for their vision and courage. He said their mission aligns with his long-standing advocacy for Anioma identity and the creation of Anioma State from Delta North.
The call for unity
The senator declared: “There is no argument about our Igbo-ness. I understand history very well. I have a degree in history. I know the migration of the Igbo people, and I know clearly that we, the Anioma, are Igbo. Time has come for us to reverse the old narratives that separated us from our brothers across the Niger.”
For years, the Igbo Unification Movement and Ndi na Asu Bia have pushed for stronger cultural and political unity among Igbo-speaking communities.
They argue that reclaiming a collective Igbo identity is essential for political strength, cultural revival, and correcting decades of distortion.
Nwoko also recalled his childhood experience during the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War, revealing that Anioma communities suffered ethnic cleansing and were forced to deny their Igbo identity in order to survive.
He said this lingering crisis must now give way to truth and reconciliation.
Anioma State Means Fairness
The senator has consistently championed the creation of Anioma State in the National Assembly. According to him, this demand is not about personal ambition or politics.
“This is not about APC, PDP, or Labour Party. It is about identity, justice, and fairness. I have no interest in being governor, but I want Anioma to stand tall with its own state, with Asaba as its capital. That way, we also fulfill the dream of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which has always recognized Anioma as one of the Igbo states,” he said.
He commended academics such as Professor Abigail Ogwezzy of the University of Lagos, whose work on Anioma linguistics has reinforced the people’s Igbo heritage.
“The Igbo man is Igbo everywhere, whether from Delta, Imo, or Abia. Just like a Chinese man remains Chinese anywhere in the world, Anioma must rise to embrace its identity. That is the only way we can achieve unity and political relevance,” Nwoko added.
Nwoko, who also chairs the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, urged cultural organisations to continue their advocacy and mobilisation.
He stressed that only through collective effort can the dream of a united Igbo nation and the creation of Anioma State be achieved.
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