Ukwani leaders and Ndokwa Elders Forum (ULNEF) in Delta
State have vowed to resist attempt to lump Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal
Constituency with any state, including Anioma in Southeast as proposed in a
bill sponsored by Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North Senatorial
District.At a meeting in Ashaka, leaders from the three local governments:
Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwani, restated the position of General Mike
Ndubisi-led Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU) on its opposition to creation of Anioma
state in Southeast, saying if there was to be Anioma state, it must be in Southsouth.The
forum warned it would never go back on its stance, saying whoever intends to
hoodwink and lump Ukwani/Ndosumili speaking ethnic nationality with Southeast
would be resisted.
A statement signed by Chief Dele Omenogor and Francis
Otunuya Idigbe, chair and secretary, with other stakeholders, said
Ndosumili/Ukwani speaking ethnic nationality, through NNU, has stated its
position on creation of Anioma state in Southsouth as against ‘the sinister
motives’ behind the proposition to be part of an Anioma State in Southeast.The
elders, however, requested creation of Ndokwa state from Delta, and cautioned
those bent on merging Ndokwa with Southeast without the people’s consent.
“We stand on NNU declaration. Our nation will never be
part of any state in Southeast but will happily align with any state in
Southsouth. Our nation is oblivious to the content of the bill sponsored by
Senator Ned Nwoko for creation of Anioma State in Southeast. We reject this. We
didn’t ask him to represent us in this instance.
“Again, we state that our nation dissociates itself
from any arrangement by an individual, group or institution, who intends to
merge Ndokwa with any state in Southeast. Nobody, under any guise, can
subjugate our oil-rich nation, comprising three economically viable councils,”
the statement reads.The meeting called on Nwoko to withdraw the bill if the
content included Ndokwa nation in an Anioma state in Southeast as rumoured.“To
us, such bill that tends to make Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency part of Anioma
in Southeast is a no, no, and this position is not negotiable.”
Ndokwa elders called on Chair of the Senate Committee
on Constitutional Review, Jibrin Barau, Chair of House Committee on Review of
1999 Constitution, Benjamin Kalu, and others to disregard any document that
names Ndokwa nation in any state outside Southsouth.The forum urged Senate
President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen
Abbas to disregard any document that do not have its root from the position of
NNU and other stakeholders in Ndokwa.The statement appealed to National Security
Adviser, to the President, Nuhu Ribadu, and heads of security agencies to call
those who wish to cause crisis in Delta North using misrepresentation, to
order, saying nobody can armtwist or subvert the will of Ndokwa.
The statement emphasised the non-negotiable stance of
Ndokwa/Ukwani leaders and Ndokwa Elders Forum towards creation of Anioma in the
Southsouth.
Comments:
Leave a Reply