I FOUND the article written by Barrister Tony Odiadi (The fate of Delta State) very interesting for he has been following Professor Itse Sagay's recent write-ups like I have, with keen interest. What is more striking is his well articulated conclusion: that the Ibori Administration is to be blamed for the overheating of the polity of Delta State. To the average Anioma person, the present Delta State Government under Chief James Ibori and the likes of Professor Itse Sagay and Dr. Temi Akporhonor are overheating the polity of Delta State. In the last 30 months, the current Delta State Government has played out the politics of exclusion against Delta North. Delta North, populated by the Anioma people, constitutes more than a third, both in terms of land area and population of Delta State. The people of Anioma have nine Local Government Areas as against eight for Central and eight for South districts recognised by the 1999 Constitution. People in this part of the world easily forget history: the present Anioma comprises old Asaba and Aboh Divisions, whereas Delta Central and the two Isoko Local Government Areas constituted only one division - Urhobo division. How come that less than one division is now bigger than two divisions? Something is wrong somewhere.

Where has the inter-ethnic harmony and brotherhood that existed in old Midwest (later Bendel) gone? One Chike Ekuyasi from Ibusa (present Delta State) won election into the Benin City Council in the old Western region. The first premier of Midwest region (later Bendel), Chief Dennis Osadebay was on record to have pursued a policy of ethnic integration and even development as he expressed geographical equity in the location of government companies: Ukpilla Cement factory (North), Delta Glass (South) and Asaba Textile Mills (East). What we find today in Delta State under the Ibori administration isbizarre: Of the 16 existing top positions in the Delta State Civil Service, 11 are held by people from Delta Central district, 5 are held by Delta South and NONE from Delta North (Anioma). The governor, Chief Ibori is from Delta Central. Of the 42 roads constructed by the Delta State Direct Labour Agency in the last 30 months, 22 are located in Delta Central, 15 in South and 5 in North (Anioma).

In addition to all these, the Secretary to Government, Head of State Civil Service, Chief Judge of the State, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Commissioner for Education, the State Accountant-General, the State Auditor-General, Chief of Staff, Government House, Chairman, Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, Director-General, Direct Labour Agency are all from the same Delta Central. Even the proverbial Northern domination under Babangida and Abacha never displayed such insensitivity to the integrity and visibility of southern ethnic groups. Of the leadership of Tertiary Institutions in the State, the same scenario is played out: the Vice Chancellor, Delta State University (DELSU), the Provosts at DELSU, Asaba and Oleh are from Delta Central, Provosts at Colleges of Education, Agbor and Warri are from Delta Central. A close look at the internal structures of these institutions shows the same ugly picture in a multi-ethnic state.

Given this scenario, one can see the link between Akporhonor's and Sagay's articles: a coordinated project to overheat the polity of Delta State. They are sowing the evil wind in Delta State to justify the marginalisation of Delta North: that the location of Delta State capital, at Asaba is constitutionally wrong - it is Babangida's bride price to the people of Anioma, and that there are two groups of people in Delta State 'core delta' or Central and South districts and 'non-core delta' of Delta North district. The antecedents linking Akporhonor and Sagay are not far fetched: (i) Both are members of the Delta State University Governing Council (Dr. Akporhonor is a chemistry teacher at the Delta State University); (ii) Both frequent the corridors of power at Asaba and (iii) Professor Sagay's visibility at the Guardian Newspapers gives him a media launch pad.

First, history has no record of any ethnic or tribal group that has one ancestral home (mono migration). The people of Delta State are no exception. There is no ethnic group in Delta State that has one origin. Is it the people of Anioma or the Urhobos, or Ijaws or Itsekiris or Isokos. This is the import of the 1999 Constitutional provision and the Electoral Law provision: that every citizen of Nigeria who has attained the age of 18 years and above residing in Nigeria at the time of registration of voters is entitled to be registered as a voter and be voted for. More recently, Hilary Clinton (wife of former American President, Bill Clinton) who comes from Arkansas State contested and won election into the American Senate from a New York Senatorial district. Therefore, when people make ethnicity an issue in a multi-ethnic arrangement for selfish reason(s), the government should educate them: the incoherent radio jingles are not enough. Government is, therefore, the problem.

Second, what is core Delta? Some ethnic groups in Delta State claim to be core Delta excluding the North Senatorial District. The word, delta (a geographical term) is an area of low land where a river spreads into many smaller rivers near the sea. No region can claim to be core Delta by self proclamation. For argument's sake, which of the following pairs of town with respect to the River Niger is more Deltaic than the other: Aboh or Ughelli?; Ozoro or Asaba?; Orogun or Okpai?; Ossissa or Eku?

Oil, gas and coal are dotted all over Anioma terrain of Delta State. In any case, brainpower is the vogue now in our globalised world.

Delta State is the only state in the world that has two state capitals: Asaba and Warri; two Government Houses - Asaba and Warri, weekly State Executive Council and State Security Meetings are held in Asaba and Warri; two poorly equipped radio and television stations at Asaba and Warri. What a waste of resources! By these actions, is the state government encouraging a sense of belonging and loyalty among the various ethnic groups in the State? Delta State is also the only state in the world where the Deputy Governor is addressed as 'Your Honour' rather than 'Your Excellency' I don't know when Chief Benjamin Elue, sorry Your Honour, became a judge? For the position of a Deputy Governor, which is more honourable "Your Excellency or Your Honour?" We will see what happens when the position of Deputy Governor is zoned to Delta Central Senatorial District. If according to Odiadi, Professor Sagay has lost his 'urban, liberal, objective and cerebral self that we have known and cherished most of these years' the Itsekiris should advise him to leave Delta State and its capital alone. May be it might be interesting for him to initiate a bill to the National Assembly to move the Ondo State capital from Akure to Sobe. I wish him luck.

Nov 2002