Constitution review: Arogbo-Ijaw in Ondo renew demand for creation of Toru-Ebe state

The Arogbo-Ijaw people of Ondo State, on Friday, renewed their longstanding demand for the creation of Toru-Ebe State, citing decades of marginalisation, ethnic fragmentation, and denial of self-determination.

This call was made during the public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Speaking on behalf of the Ijaw community, a representative of the Arogbo-Ijaws, Chief Francis Williams, said that their request stems from the historical and ongoing injustice against the Ijaw ethnic nationality that is scattered across Delta, Edo, and Ondo States.

According to him, the request for the creation of Toru-Ebe State is primarily intended to address some of the oddities and absurdities within the Nigerian Nation State.

Williams said, “I wish to state it clearly from the onset that our request is hinged on the complete lack of fairness, justice, equity and non-compliance with International Conventions, Law and Declarations concerning the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality within the Nigerian Nation State.

“The request for creation of Toru-Ebe State is primarily intended to address some of these oddities and absurdities within the Nigerian Nation State.

“Our demand is rooted in the total absence of fairness, justice, and equity. We are an indigenous people with over 8,000 years of uninterrupted history in the Niger Delta. Yet, we have been balkanised, marginalised, and rendered politically vulnerable.”

Tracing the historical trajectory of the Ijaw struggle, the delegation pointed to colonial-era decisions that split the Ijaw people between the Eastern and Western regions, creating a situation where the Ijaws became permanent minorities in various states.

He cited multiple national conventions and conferences from Patani in 1991 to Kaiama in 1993 where calls for the creation of homogenous Ijaw states were made, yet left unheeded.

Referencing international charters, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Ijaw group asserted their right to control their lands, resources, culture, and governance structures 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.”

The statement also quoted notable Nigerian figures such as Chief Rotimi Williams and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who both cautioned against the division of ethnic nationalities and the creation of minority enclaves.

“It is immoral to split one ethnic group into two,” Chief Williams had warned, while Dr. Azikiwe emphasized the need for ethnic groups to remain unified within state boundaries for genuine self-determination.

“The creation of Bayelsa State in 1996 was acknowledged as a step in the right direction, but the delegation insists that the Ijaws of the western flank remain politically stranded.

“As the constitutional review process continues, the Arogbo-Ijaws urged the National Assembly to rise to the occasion and correct historical wrongs by recommending the creation of Toru-Ebe State.

“Our heroes past are on the same page with us,” the speaker concluded. “We rest our case and pray for justice.

“Our heroes past are on the same page with us,” the speaker concluded. “We rest our case and pray for justice.”

READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE