REJOINDER TO DR. NWANKWO T. NWAEZEIGWE’S ARTICLE ON SENATOR NED NWOKO

The recent publication by Dr. Nwankwo T. Nwaezeigwe, in which he sought to malign Senator Ned Munir Nwoko and to cast aspersions on the collective aspirations of Anioma people, is not only unfortunate but a transparent attempt at sowing seeds of discord. It is the familiar handiwork of those who thrive in division and are unsettled whenever progress and acceptance begin to gain traction.

Senator Nwoko only just met the organizers of the said Okpanam program for the first time. To twist that encounter into some imagined declaration against Anioma’s identity is to manufacture fiction for political ends. This is not scholarship, it is the script of a commissioned fifth columnist.

ANIOMA’S MOMENT OF ACCEPTANCE

The truth, which cannot be concealed under heaps of bitter words, is that Anioma is being accepted more broadly today than ever before. In every meaningful national conversation, from representation in Abuja, to the debate on restructuring, to the emerging discourse around equity in Nigeria’s federal arrangement, Anioma is visible and credible. This is not accidental. It is the fruit of years of quiet work, of a leadership style that places the people above personal ambition, and of a readiness to channel mandate toward the common good.

Senator Ned Nwoko has consistently demonstrated this. While others chased personal ambition and mortgaged tomorrow with reckless loans in the name of politics, he has invested his political capital in causes that directly benefit Anioma and Delta North. His leadership has been marked by boldness, in healthcare, education, space research, and in international advocacy for reparations, and also by humility, in how he engages his constituents.

ON PROGRESS TOWARD REFERENDUM

What unsettles the enemies of progress today is not identity politics, but the quiet recognition that Anioma is closer to materializing its aspirations within Nigeria’s federal system. Acceptance is growing across the country. Conversations around a people’s right to self-definition and self-determination are no longer taboo. Senator Nwoko’s call for a referendum is not a call to division, but to democratic practice, allowing the people to decide, through lawful means, the shape of their future.

That is why the blackmail cards are on the table, distortion of history, vilification of leadership, and attempts to pit Anioma against its neighbors. But such tactics cannot erase the truth that progress is being made, and that Anioma is gaining recognition not by noise, but by substance.

A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

Senator Nwoko remains focused. He is not distracted by the tantrums of those who mistake insult for argument. His commitment is to the mandate given to him by the people of Delta North and to the broader cause of equity within Nigeria.

The Anioma people know who they are. They are not ashamed of their heritage, nor will they allow anyone to weaponize history against their present or their future. They will not be baited into quarrels that distract from the task at hand, consolidating development, deepening acceptance, and advancing the democratic right of every people to freely decide their place in the Nigerian federation.

For this reason, while others trade in bitterness, Senator Ned Nwoko and the people of Anioma will continue to trade in progress.

Signed. 

“TAT” 4 Senator Ned