— Say demand has lingered for decades
— Cite marginalization, fragmentation, and denial of self-determination
By Dayo Johnson, Akure
The Arogbo-Ijaw people of Ondo State have once again renewed their longstanding call for the creation of Toru-Ebe State, citing decades of systemic marginalization, ethnic fragmentation, and the persistent denial of their right to self-determination.
Their renewed demand was presented during the South-West Centre B Public Hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Spokesperson for the group, Chief Francis Williams, emphasized that the agitation for Toru-Ebe State stems from “historical and ongoing injustice” suffered by the Ijaw ethnic nationality scattered across Delta, Edo, and Ondo States.
Williams said, “Our request is hinged on the complete lack of fairness, justice, equity, and non-compliance with international conventions, laws, and declarations concerning the Ijaw ethnic nationality within the Nigerian nation-state.”
According to him, the Ijaw people, with over 8,000 years of uninterrupted history in the Niger Delta, have been “balkanised, marginalized, and rendered politically vulnerable.”
He traced the origin of their struggle to colonial-era decisions that divided the Ijaw people between the Eastern and Western Regions, resulting in their status as minorities in several states. This fragmentation, he argued, has weakened their political voice and cultural cohesion.
Williams referenced various national conferences and conventions—from Patani in 1991 to Kaiama in 1993—where demands for homogenous Ijaw states were made, yet continuously ignored.
Quoting international instruments like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Arogbo-Ijaw group asserted their right to control their land, culture, governance structures, and resources without external interference.
“We are invoking global declarations and charters to which Nigeria is a signatory. The Ijaw people deserve a state of their own—not just as a matter of political restructuring but as a fulfillment of their right to self-determination,” Williams declared.
The group also referenced iconic Nigerian figures such as Chief Rotimi Williams and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who had previously warned against the splitting of ethnic nationalities into minority enclaves.
“It is immoral to split one ethnic group into two,” Chief Williams had said, while Dr. Azikiwe stressed the importance of ethnic unity within states as a prerequisite for genuine self-determination.
While acknowledging the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996 as a positive step, the Arogbo-Ijaws noted that their counterparts in the western flank of the Niger Delta remain “politically stranded.”
As the constitutional review process progresses, the group urged the National Assembly to correct what they termed a “historical injustice” by recommending the creation of Toru-Ebe State from parts of Delta, Edo, and Ondo States.
Concluding their submission, Chief Williams stated, “Our heroes past are on the same page with us in the demand for the creation of Toru-Ebe State. We rest our case.
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