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Ohanaeze Youths Reject Creation Of Orlu, Etiti States, Want Anioma
The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has expressed its opposition to the creation of Orlu and Etiti States.
Instead, the youths urged the proponents of Orlu and Etiti States to support the birth of Anioma State.
In a press conference held on the 22 June, 2024, at the NUJ Press Center in Owerri, Imo State, National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka said as the apex socio-cultural youth organization of Ndigbo, they believe in the principles of equity, justice, and fairness.
The group also commended Senator Prince Chinedu Nwoko, also known as Ned Nwoko, for his well-articulated bill seeking the creation of an additional state in the southeast geopolitical zone to achieve political balance.
The council emphasizes the need for political equality in Nigeria, particularly in the southeastern region, which currently has only five states compared to the six states in other geopolitical zones, except for the North West with seven states.
“The bill presented by Nwoko highlights the importance of creating more states in the country to provide equal opportunities and political representation for the southwesterners.
The OYC believes that any progressive and patriotic Nigerian should not oppose the bill but support it as a means to promote national unity, integrity, fairness, and equity.
“The creation of Anioma State, as opposed to Orlu or Etiti State, should be seen as a step towards balanced political representation rather than regional benefits.
“The council acknowledges that injustice and lack of political equality have contributed to the current state of Nigeria. The creation of Anioma State is seen as a rescue mission to restore political balance and address the ongoing ethnic and political crises in the country.
“The proponents of Anioma State, unlike those supporting Orlu and Etiti States, demonstrate selflessness, equity, and fairness. The creation of Anioma State would also contribute to resolving ethnic conflicts in Edo and Delta States by considering the geographical dynamics and socio-political behaviors of the area,” the group said.
The council highlights that the proposed component of Anioma State shares similarities in terms of ethnic groups and political history with other states in the southeast.
They said the birth of Anioma State would promote zonal equity and address the marginalization of the southeast zone.
“The creation of Anioma State is considered a just and strategic means to address the agitation in the southeast and promote unity in the region. The OYC calls on the proponents of Orlu and Etiti States to withdraw their bills and support Dist. Sen. Ned Nwoko in the realization of Anioma State. The council also appeals to Igbo political leaders, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders to rally support for the creation of Anioma State,” the OYC said, emphasizing that anyone pushing for the creation of Orlu or Etiti State without the mandate and support of the Igbo youths and Ndigbo is an enemy to the southern Nigeria and the southeast region.
The council appeals to all patriotic members of the National Assembly, as well as individuals from the North, Middle Belt, Southwest, and South-South, to view the creation of Anioma State as a regional political balance and national equity.
“The creation of Anioma State would contribute to calming the agitation in the southeast and fostering peaceful coexistence,” the group added.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Malaria Day 2025, the Caleb Danladi Foundation has stepped up its efforts to combat the disease, with a special focus on protecting vulnerable populations.
Aligning with this year’s theme, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” the Foundation facilitated the re-enrollment of hundreds of women, children, and other at-risk groups into the Kaduna State Health Insurance Scheme.
Founder of the Foundation, Captain Caleb Danladi, disclosed that the organisation fully funded the beneficiaries’ insurance premiums to enhance their access to malaria prevention and treatment services.
Speaking during Friday’s commemoration, Danladi lamented that malaria continues to claim countless lives, particularly in underserved communities.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” he said. “On this World Malaria Day, we reaffirm our commitment to saving lives through direct support, strong advocacy, and strategic investments in community health solutions.”
He emphasised the need for sustained investments in healthcare and a reimagined approach to delivering equitable services across communities.
Danladi also urged government agencies, healthcare workers, and development partners to strengthen collaboration efforts aimed at eradicating malaria, noting that safeguarding the health and dignity of Nigerians especially women and children is a shared responsibility.
The Director-General (D-G) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, stated that Africa would be minimally impacted by the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump.
Okonjo-Iweala made the remark during an interview with Nigerian journalists at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank in Washington D.C. on Friday.
She explained that only 6.5 per cent of Africa’s exports go to the USA, while 4.4 per cent of its imports come from the U.S., meaning that the impact on the continent would be minimal.
“The trade of the continent is very limited with the USA. We have done the analysis, and the impact on the continent as a whole is not significant,” she said.
However, she noted that Africa’s limited trade with the USA was also not ideal, as it hindered economic growth.
The D-G emphasised that Africa needed to focus on utilising its own resources to reach its full potential, as aid was declining, and the continent required more investment.
She pointed out that Africa must strengthen internal trade, citing Lesotho as an example.
In spite of Lesotho exporting 200 million dollars’ worth of textiles to the USA, the country faced challenges due to the shrinking U.S. market.
Okonjo-Iweala noted that Africa spent 7 billion dollars annually on importing textiles, suggesting that Lesotho should instead focus on selling textiles within African markets.
She also urged the USA to consider the effects of tariffs on least-developed countries, calling for a reassessment of the reciprocal tariffs in poorer nations.
Okonjo-Iweala concluded that Africa needed more investments and should work towards boosting intra-Africa trade, which remained underdeveloped.
“We cannot trade more externally, where our trade is only 3 per cent of world trade, or internally, where intra-Africa trade is 16 to 20 per cent at most,” she said.(NAN)
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the umbrella body of cattle herders in Nigeria, has praised President Bola Tinubu for appointing Mr. Tosin Ajayi as Directo- General of the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the appointment as one of the best by the administration.
MACBAN thanked President Tinubu for creating the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises to the body and would greatly improve the livestock industry in Nigeria.
The body said the DSS handling of the security situation in Plateau, Benue and other states was with outmost professionalism and deserved commendation.
MACBAN’s statement came a few days after the Plateau State government praised the DSS for being it’s most reliable partner in fighting insecurity in the state. Plateau state government said the DSS helped solve several security problems in the state.
In a statement issued Friday in Abuja, MACBAN charged other security agencies to learn from the way the new DSS leadership has been stepping in to secure life and property, saying it was impressed by efforts by the DSS DG to investigate the root cause of the problems across the states.
The statement was signed by MACBAN national president, Baba Othman Ngelzarma.
Said MACBAN, “We salute the professionalism with which the DSS has been handling the delicate security challenges in Plateau, Benue and several other states.
“Only recently, the DSS DG averted what would have been a very serious security crisis in Enugu State where nine young Fulani men were murdered in cold blood and their corpses dumped in the bush.
“It took painstaking efforts by Mr. Ajayi to help douse tensions.
“We are encouraged by the DG’s belief that there cannot be peace without justice. We are happy that he’s been warding off political pressures to paint law-abiding Fulani herdsmen with the same brush used to paint terrorists and criminals.
“To be sure, there are criminal elements as well as good persons among all races and tribes. We are happy that, under Mr. Ajayi, the DSS has been able to draw the line between criminality and law-abiding Fulani herdsmen who break sweat to earn decent living,” noted MACBAN, adding, “we urge other security agencies to take a cue from the DSS.”
According to the largest body of cattle herders in Nigeria, over 20 percent of its members, and four million heads of cattle, have been forced by insecurity to flee Nigeria, with hundreds of families displaced.
The exodus of herders, noted the group, had raised the cost of beef, the cheapest meat source in Nigeria.
MACBAN promised to cooperate with federal and state governments as well as support security agencies to help restore peace to boost businesses and agricultural economic activities.