ANIM STATE CREATION: CONSTITUTIONAL LESSONS IN UNITY AND THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR EQUITABLE INCLUSION OF THE OHAJI/EGBEMA PEOPLE by Progress Aniabor

ANIM STATE CREATION: CONSTITUTIONAL LESSONS IN UNITY AND THE STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR EQUITABLE INCLUSION OF THE OHAJI/EGBEMA PEOPLE.

In recent times, several articles, commentaries, and newspaper publications have surfaced across various platforms regarding the proposed creation of ANIM State. Within these discussions, one group of voices has remained consistent and unmistakable. The voices of the people of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, expressing deep dissatisfaction over the proposed inclusion of their Local Government Area in the new state.

In virtually every one of those articles and public statements, our people have not failed to state clearly their reservations and objections. The message from our communities has been plain: many fear that the inclusion of Ohaji/Egbema in the proposed state may perpetuate the very marginalisation, neglect, and political imbalance our people have endured for decades.

In each of those write-ups, I see clearly our fears about the proposed state, I hear the voiced grievances and the unspoken anxieties alike. Rather than amplify division, I lend my voice through a deliberate, constitutionally anchored analysis. I feel the pain of our people. I understand the historical neglect and deprivation that have shaped this reaction.

This article is therefore intended to be detailed and instructive. I will examine the constitutional framework governing state creation in Nigeria, identify where we may have made strategic errors as a people, and propose possible steps that can still be taken going forward.

For that reason, this piece will be lengthy and carefully structured. I urge you all to read it patiently to the end in order to grasp the full picture.

The creation of a state is not a casual political matter. It is one of the most serious constitutional processes within the Nigerian federation. As such, it demands that we approach it with sobriety, clarity of thought, unity of purpose and rigorous adherence to law while putting aside personal bias, emotions, and internal divisions.

WHERE WE ERRED

1. Our First Error: Disunity from the Beginning

Our first and most fundamental misstep was disunity. From the earliest stirrings of the state-creation movement, Ohaji and Egbema did not present a united constitutional position.

While Ohaji clan publicly declared its intention to remain within Imo State, Egbema clan on the other hand advocated for a different direction, either inclusion in a proposed Urashi State or alignment with Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State.

From a historical or emotional standpoint, these positions may appear understandable. However, from a constitutional standpoint, this approach created a serious problem.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not recognise Ohaji and Egbema as separate constitutional entities.

Rather, it recognises only Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area as a single administrative unit.

Under Section 8(1)(a) of the Constitution, a request for the creation of a new state must originate from:

“A request supported by at least two-thirds majority of the members representing the area demanding the creation of the new State in the Senate and the House of Representatives, the State House of Assembly and the Local Government Councils in respect of the area.”

The operative phrase here is “the area demanding the creation of the new State.”

In constitutional language, that “area” refers to an existing administrative territory, not to cultural clans.

Therefore, the National Assembly of Nigeria could only recognise Ohaji/Egbema LGA as one political unit.

By presenting ourselves as two separate blocs instead of a unified Local Government position, we weakened our constitutional footing.

2. Our Second Error: Failure to Recalibrate After the ANIM Proposal Emerged.

The second mistake occurred after the ANIM State proposal began to gain momentum.

Once it became clear that the proposed structure of the new state would incorporate the twelve Local Government Areas of Orlu Zone, including Ohaji/Egbema, alongside territories from Anambra State, our strategy ought to have changed immediately.

At that point, unity was no longer optional, it became necessary.

The constitutional process for state creation relies fundamentally on territorial units, not personal preference.

Section 8 of the Constitution operates largely on geographical and administrative boundaries.

Once a Local Government Area is listed as part of the territory or district forming a proposed state, the communities within that LGA become part of that proposal unless a formal constitutional challenge emerges from that same administrative unit.

Therefore, by continuing with disjointed positions even after the ANIM proposal had crystallised, we gradually lost the opportunity to present a strong constitutional objection.

WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE:

The Nigerian Constitution establishes a layered process for state creation.

From the structure of Section 8, four constitutional actors are involved in the process:

1. The people of the affected area

2. Their elected representatives (House of Assembly member and Councillors)

3. The National Assembly (House of Reps member and Senator)

4. State legislatures across the federation

A coordinated constitutional strategy by the people of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area would therefore have followed this path:

First, a united declaration by the people of the Local Government rejecting inclusion in the proposed state.

Second, formal engagement with elected representatives at every level:

1. Councillors of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government.

2. Member of the Imo State House of Assembly

3. Member representing the federal constituency in the House of Representatives

4. Senator representing the Orlu Zone in the Senate

These representatives could have been formally mandated not to support any legislative step that would include Ohaji/Egbema in the proposed state.

Third, diplomatic engagement with representatives from Owerri Zone and Okigwe Zone in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, signalling the desire of Ohaji/Egbema to remain constitutionally aligned with the present structure of Imo State.

Such a coordinated strategy would have placed the constitutional record clearly on the side of the people.

SOLUTION / NEXT STEP:

We cannot rewind the clock, but we can still shape our destiny. Given the present circumstances, internal unity has now become even more urgent.

A strategic meeting should be convened involving:

• Leadership of Ogbako Ohaji

• Leadership of Ogbako Egbema

• Traditional rulers

• Youth organisations

• Women leadership groups.

This meeting must produce a binding resolution to pursue our interests henceforth as one indivisible Local Government Area.

Following this, a credible and non-partisan committee should be constituted to articulate the interests and demands of Ohaji/Egbema within the framework of the proposed state.

The committee must include individuals of proven integrity, intellectual capacity, and community credibility.

The committee’s first port of call must be our apex leaders: Sir Mike Okiro, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Opiah, Hon. Goddy Esom Obodo, HRH Eze Assor (Chairman of Traditional Rulers), Chief Charles Orie, Hon. Marcel Amadioha (LGA Chairman), immediate past Rep member Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima, past and present Assembly members, and other respected power brokers.

Their endorsement will open doors to the ANIM State proponents for serious negotiations and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that clearly defines our stakes.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Armed with unified leadership, the committee should present the following non-negotiable demands:

1. Demand the Official Territorial Blueprint:

The committee should formally request from the proponents of ANIM State:

i, The official geographical map of the proposed state

ii, The planned Local Government configuration

iii, The ward structure

iv, The proposed federal constituencies and senatorial districts.

These documents are fundamental in assessing the political future of Ohaji/Egbema within the new state.

2. A comprehensive developmental blueprint outlining how Ohaji/Egbema will be integrated, with clear timelines and funding commitments.

3. Secure Strategic Economic and Institutional Assets

The people of Ohaji/Egbema must negotiate for the siting of critical development infrastructure such as:

• Tertiary institutions

• Industrial development hubs

• Major government agencies.

• Dualized State roads linking Ohaji and Egbema to the State Capital of ANIM State

Such infrastructure will ensure that the Local Government becomes a central player within the new state structure rather than a peripheral territory.

4. The immediate establishment of an Ohaji/Egbema Advisory Council within the new state’s governance architecture.

This body, comprising our traditional rulers, youths and women representatives, and technocrats, shall serve as a permanent interface to protect our cultural heritage, ensure equitable political appointments, and safeguard against future marginalization.

These recommendations are not requests for favours; they are constitutionally attainable rights rooted in the same Section 8 framework that now binds us to ANIM State.

Finally, The proposed ANIM State is no longer a distant possibility but a constitutional reality we must confront with wisdom and collective strength.

We must do so by closing ranks today, engaging strategically tomorrow, and anchoring every demand on verifiable provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Ohaji/Egbema people can convert potential disadvantage into genuine empowerment.

Let history record that we did not lament in vain but rose, united, to claim our rightful place in the new order.

The nation is watching. Our children’s future hangs on the choices we make now. Let us choose unity, strategy, and constitutional fidelity and secure the prosperous, equitable reality we deserve.

Written by:

Ndubuisi Progress Aniabor

Abacheke Egbema, Ohaji/Egbema LGA.

14-03-2026