•Senator Ned Nwoko
Leaders of the Ukwani and Ndokwa Elders Forum (ULNEF), alongside other critical stakeholders, have strongly opposed any attempt to merge the Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency in Delta State with any state, including the proposed Anioma State in the South-East.
The opposition comes in response to a bill sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, aimed at creating Anioma State, reports Vanguard.
A communiqué issued by Chief (Dr.) Dele Omenogor and Francis Otunuya Idigbe, Chairman and Secretary of ULNEF, following a meeting in Ashaka, Ndokwa East, declared that the leaders from the three local government areas of the Ndokwa/Ukwani constituency—Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West, and Ukwani—firmly reject any such merger.
They restated the position of the General Mike Ndubisi-led Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), opposing the creation of Anioma State in the South-East and insisting that if Anioma State is to be created, it must be within the South-South geopolitical zone.
The leaders emphasised that they would resist any efforts to merge the Ukwani and Ndokwa-speaking people with the South-East, citing concerns over the potential erosion of their distinct cultural and regional identity.
They noted that Ndokwa/Ukwani people have no desire to be subsumed into Anioma State, as proposed in the bill sponsored by Senator Nwoko.
In their statement, they rejected the notion that the Ndokwa people would support any attempt to merge their region with the South-East, calling on Senator Nwoko to withdraw the bill if it includes Ndokwa as part of the proposed Anioma State.
“We stand strongly on the NNU declaration. Our nation will never be part of any state in the South-East but will happily align with any state in the South-South geopolitical zone. We did not ask him to represent us in this instance,” the communiqué stated.
The leaders also urged key political figures, including Senator Jibrin Barau, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, and Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, to disregard any proposals that involve Ndokwa nation being part of any state outside the South-South.
Further, they called on the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other security agencies to address those who are allegedly trying to misrepresent the Ndokwa people for political purposes, warning that no amount of intimidation or deception could sway their stance.
The leaders reiterated that Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency firmly belongs to the South-South geopolitical zone and will resist any attempt to change that.
They insisted that only the NNU, representing the collective will of the Ndokwa people, has the mandate to speak on their behalf regarding the proposed creation of Anioma State.
In conclusion, the leaders called on President Bola Tinubu to reject any bill that attempts to fraudulently incorporate Ndokwa/Ukwani into Anioma State, stressing that their identity, culture, and heritage must be preserved within the South-South. They vowed to use all legitimate means to resist any such attempt.
