By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) has called on the National Assembly to courageously conclude the constitutional process for the creation of Anioma State, urging President Bola Tinubu to act as a unifier by correcting what it described as a historic imbalance in Nigeria’s federal structure.
In a statement signed by its Chancellor, Dr. Omenazu Jackson, the organisation appealed to Nigerians to rise above ethnic considerations and support the creation of Anioma State as the sixth state in the South-East geopolitical zone. ISSJHR described the move as a constitutional correction, a moral necessity and a patriotic act capable of promoting national healing.
The group stressed that the demand for Anioma State was not an ethnic or sectional project but a constitutional and national quest for justice, equity and balance within the federation.
“The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights reiterates its firm and principled support for the creation of Anioma State as the sixth state of the South-East geopolitical zone, grounded in constitutional equity, judicial consistency, moral justice and national stability,” the statement said.
ISSJHR argued that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides a clear legal basis for the demand, citing provisions on the federal character principle, national integration and non-discrimination, as well as Section 8(1), which outlines the procedure for state creation. According to the group, the fact that the South-East remains the only geopolitical zone with five states contradicts the spirit of equity enshrined in the Constitution.
The organisation also referenced several Supreme Court decisions, noting that Nigerian jurisprudence consistently upholds justice, balance and inclusiveness as pillars of constitutional governance. It maintained that the continued structural underrepresentation of the South-East and the exclusion of Anioma people from the zone of their historical and cultural roots remain legally and morally indefensible.
On the Anioma question, ISSJHR said the people are Igbo by history, culture and ancestry but were placed in another geopolitical zone through military administrative actions without a referendum or constitutional consent. It described this situation as an anomaly that should be corrected in a democratic dispensation.
The society also commended Senator Dave Nweze Umahi for what it described as his principled and patriotic stance on issues of justice and equity, noting that his support for the Anioma cause reflects national interest rather than ethnic sentiment.
ISSJHR concluded by calling on the National Assembly to complete the constitutional process for the creation of Anioma State, urging the President to address the imbalance as part of efforts to strengthen national unity. It also appealed to Nigerians to support the initiative, insisting that Anioma State represents a Nigerian correction rather than an ethnic agenda.
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