The lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District , Ned Nwoko, has justified his ongoing Igbo identity restoration campaign as being in alignment with the vision of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
Consequently, he appealed to Igbos in the Southeast to embrace their brothers and sisters across other parts of the country.
According to a statement on Sunday, Nwoko made the appeal in continuation of his mobilisation efforts towards the unification of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
He maintained that the call became imperative noting that many Igbos scattered across the South-South, Kogi, and Benue states are still grappling with an identity crisis—an aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War.
Nwoko used the tragic Asaba massacre of 1966 as an example, noting that “the pogrom forced many Anioma people and other Igbos outside the Southeast to deny their true identity to survive.”
He said, “Frightened by the rampaging Nigerian soldiers, many of our people had to renounce their Igbo identity just to escape death.
“Some Anioma people even adopted Benin names because soldiers were combing villages in search of Igbos to kill.”
The lawmaker argued that this explained why some Igbo groups outside the Southeast still shy away from openly identifying as Igbo.
Nwoko said, “The larger Igbo society should embrace its kith and kin scattered across Nigeria. The restoration of our shared identity is part of the unification we must pursue.”
On Anioma identity and Igbo heritage, Nwoko wondered why some Anioma people in Delta State deny their Igbo identity noting that “their names, lifestyles, ancestral deities, attire, cuisine, and traditional market days” remain identical to those of the larger Igbo society.
“As far as I know, there has never been a time in history when Igbo from across the Niger waged any expansionist war in Anioma to force people to become Igbo. So why the fright?” he asked.
He said that while a few individuals may choose to identify otherwise, the overwhelming majority of Anioma people are undoubtedly Igbo.
“Those who want to claim Benin should go ahead, but 99.9 percent of Anioma people are Igbos.
“The ongoing restoration of Igbo identity aligns with the vision of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation,” he posited
Nwoko is currently championing the creation of Anioma State, advocating for its addition as the sixth state in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
