JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RELOCATION OF THE DELTA CAPITAL FROM ASABA TO WARRI – MOTHER OF AGITATION IN DELTA

– By Zik Gbemre

We believe it is inappropriate that the Anioma people, who were not originally part of the old Warri/Delta Province, are the ones presently having the Delta State capital. Yet, the Urhobos, Itsekiris, Isokos, and the Ijaws are comfortable with it. Asaba, as the provincial capital of Delta State is today the boundary between Anambra and Delta State. Can anyone name a State capital in Nigeria that is located in a boundary between two States?

The truth is bitter, but we should be bold enough to say it. The Anioma people were never part of the old Warri/Delta Province. But they were forced on the people of Warri/Delta Province, and they also stole the State capital to Asaba, which is a boundary town that is divided by the River Niger. To us, that is the highest form of oppression on the Urhobos, Isokos, Itsekiris, and the Ijaws in Delta State. The Anioma people practically forced themselves to be part of Delta State, and they went as far as taking the State capital with the influence of their inlaw, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), as a former Military Head of State.

The question now is, should we allow this evil injustice to remain unchanged? The Delta Central, and Delta South seriously need to unite as one, to demand for the relocation of the Delta State capital from Asaba to Warri, which already has the structures and posture of a State Capital. Rather than having people drive from Delta South and Delta Central to Asaba, which is at the boundary of the State, as the seat of political administration.

A State Capital can be changed to the appropriate city when the existing parameter makes it justifiable. All they need, is a simple majority or a Proclamation to relocate the Delta State capital from Asaba to Warri. We are not asking for the creation of a new State, but simply changing the State capital. In the US, some of their State Capitals have been changed/moved severally. This includes: California (Sacramento), Michigan (Lansing), Georgia, which had Milledgeville before Atlanta, Florida had two capitals before Tallahassee, etc. Even the US capital was first in Philadelphia and a number of locations including New York before Washington D. C. The Republic of Georgia have had five different capitals before Tbilisi. The City of Calabar was the first capital of Nigeria’s Southern Protectorate before Lagos State was made the capital after the 1914 Amalgamation of Nigeria. And then it was changed/moved to Abuja in 1991, which is at the centre of the country. South Africa alone, has Three State capitals – Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein. The Netherlands (Holland) has its official capital as Amsterdam City but with time all the administrative offices of the government of The Netherlands, national parliament, and embassies were located in The Hague, including the International Court of Justice (ICT) in The Hague. The Delta State capital in Asaba is long overdue to be relocated to Warri as the official capital city of Delta State.

Benin was the provincial headquarters of the Benin Province now known as Edo State with Benin city as the State headquarters. The old Midwest region/State was comprised of Benin and Warri/Delta province. Originally, the Anioma people were never part of the Warri/Delta province. With the creation of Delta State out of the then Bendel State, Warri ought to be the permanent State Capital of Delta State. Agreed that the Anioma people have been part of the new Delta State, but Asaba should not have been made the State capital of Delta State. It is time to correct this injustice once and for all. In addition, in the old Midwest region/Bendel State, which had two Provinces – The Benin and Warri/Delta Provinces, the Delta Province comprised of the Urhobos, Ukwuanes, Isokos, Ijaws, and the Itsekiris. While the Benin Province comprised of the Binis, Esans, Owans, Etsakos and the Bendel Ibos (Anioma people). But during the said creation of Delta State, which was in former Benin Province, they forcefully took/stole the State’s capital to Asaba, which is a boundary city with Anambra State. But one would have thought that with the creation of Delta State, they ought to have corrected this wrong location of its capital to Warri, which remains the traditional capital of the Warri/Delta Province.

Even when Asaba was forcefully made the provincial state capital by the then Federal Military Government, the place was not developed at all but with time it has expanded and developed to the level it is now. As for Warri, it has all the required structures on ground to stand as state capital of Delta State right from time. Let me reiterate here that this agitation has nothing to do with the two major political parties, be it Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressive Congress (APC), or all the other political parties in Delta State. This is an agitation that is strictly based on the truth, fairness and social justice.

With all of this, our people should not be comfortable with Asaba being the Delta State Capital. There are many justifications for the demand for the change of Delta State Capital to Warri. The Anioma people were never part of the old Warri/Delta Province. Asaba is not a “central” location suitable as the capital city of Delta State. The Delta Central and Delta South are far away from the supposed Asaba as a State capital. This has made Delta Central and Delta South to remain on one side of the State, oblivious of what is happening in Asaba as the supposed administrative headquarters of the State. This is not right when we look at it critically.

I know some people will say that Zik Gbemre has come again. Some will say that I am making statements that are not reasonable, or that are controversial, and that I should not have done so because it was the then Federal Military Government that had pronounced Asaba as the Provincial capital of Delta State. And therefore, it should remain like that even though it was wrongly done. Some of my critics and Delta State politicians, who have often shied away from the truth on State and national issues affecting us, will say Zik Gbemre has started again with his many troubles, especially for daring to say that the Delta State capital Asaba, be relocated to Warri, and that it cannot be done. Well, it is not a question of if it can be done or not, it is a question of: should we all “pretend” that all is well with the already established fact that the location of the Delta State capital to Asaba, which is a boundary town between Anambra and Delta State, is wrong? If that has been established, then the question of, if it can be done will not be a problem at all.

Others will be pretending that all is well and that they are okay with Asaba being the Provincial capital of Delta State. Well, it is about time we correct this wrong and injustice done as regards the wrong location of Delta State’s capital. This is not tribal politics and being sentimental here, it is about acknowledging and reckoning with the truth and nothing but the truth. When I consulted few friends about this subject issue, they said this one is big oh! Can it be actualized? But I believe this is not a quest to create divisiveness, animosity or to cause problems in the State, but it is all about “righting the wrong” which was accepted as normal as a result of ignorance. Ignorance is a disease that can only be cured with being enlightened with the right knowledge of what should be. The proper place, and rallying-point and economic hub as a location for the Delta State’s capital – is Warri. And we all know this!

Some have even said Warri has no enough space to be the State capital, and you wonder the sort of space they need for the State Governor. The US White House, from which exudes so much power, political and economic influence across the globe, is not really a big house. The No. 10, Downing Street, which is the Official House and Office of the UK Government and Prime Minister, is not a big place either. So, what are we talking about Warri not having a big space for? There is the Delta State Government Liaison Office Annex and a Governor’s lodge in Warri, which they can even further refurbish and upgrade if they want to, and so what again? We should not be too concerned or carried away by the size of buildings and its ambience, for the State Governor. What should be paramount here is what can be done by that State Government, as Occupants of the said Government House, to bring about economic and political transformation that would shake the nation, and which everyone would desire to reckon and associate with both within the State, across the nation and across the globe. The examples above in the US and UK should serve as lesson for us.

All we need for the actualization of Warri being the new State Capital of Delta State, is just the required proclamation and the legal legislative backing that would follow. We are not requesting for a new State, but we are only asking that there is the need to correct this wrong. This is a message of truth. This is a message of Hope to correct the injustice that was handed over to us without consideration of general interest of us all. Why should Deltans be comfortable with such “packs of lies and oppression”. It is the time to correct this WRONG which is long overdue to be corrected. As believers of God The Creator of us All and Everything, we should not shy away from the truth. The Church and the Mosque are places of worship for Nigerians and we should abide by the truth and nothing but the truth when the truth is staring at us in the face. Yes, we are ONE DELTA, even though our differences sometimes makes it look like we are divided, but this issue of the relocation of the State Capital from Asaba to Warri, is wrong that should be corrected once and for all. The Oil City of Warri remains the most appropriate and proper city for the capital of Delta state, period!

In my consultation before publishing this note, some were honest with me and said “You are right. But as you know, Delta State politicians will not allow the truth to shine.” And that we should just leave everything to God. And I told them that God, never supported the oppression of people, or ‘wrong deeds’ that is not in the interest of all. So, why shy away from the truth? Some others say: “na so e bi already, make we just leave am”. Are they saying those who say the truth are not on the part of righteousness and following the right path of God? Are they saying that those who make the efforts to correct the wrongs in our society are not worshipping God? I know many politicians will also say Zik Gbemre is always talking and talking, and nothing will be corrected. But no matter how long it will take, we cannot hide the truth forever. Everybody knew the truth about June 12, and when many countless well-meaning Nigerians were crying out for that injustice to be corrected, the political leaders did not give it attention. Until recently when one man decided to do what many avoided for decades, and he corrected that wrong, thereby honouring the memory of the victims of June 12, and has left a legacy that would outlive him and his administration.

This is exactly what we are talking about. When political leaders are not afraid to acknowledge the truth, regardless of what any other person think or say, and take the bold step to correct and establish that truth. Often times, when this is not done, it only takes a matter of time, for the said truth to explode like a bomb, no matter how long they sit on it. We are aware that many Delta State politicians, for fear of the present administration of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, especially those from the Delta Central and Delta South, may not support this opinion because Governor Okowa is from the Delta North (Anioma Delta Ibo), and supporting this opinion will make them lose favour from his administration, and jeopardize their chances of being in his cabinet or getting juicy portfolios. But people should not be scared of the truth. Again, they should be reminded that this issue is beyond their selfish interests, it is about the general interest of all and sundry in Delta State. More so, it is having the ability to exhibit the boldness to stand for this truth, that will separate the men from the boys in the politics of Delta State.

IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKDROP THAT WE ARE CALLING ON MEMBERS OF THE 9TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, ESPECIALLY THE LAWMAKERS REPRESENTING DELTA STATE AT THE SENATE AND FEDERAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TO MAKE THE EFFORTS OF RAISING A MOTION FOR THE SAID PROCLAMATION FOR THE RELOCATION OF DELTA STATE CAPITAL FROM ASABA TO WARRI. This is the right thing to do to create the “political and economic balance” that is desperately needed in Delta State. Like we said before, we are not asking for a new State neither are we asking for a boundary change/adjustment, both of which are herculean tasks that can still be done. We are only asking for the relocation of the Delta State capital from Asaba to Warri. If we consider the above enumerated history of how Warri came to be, right from the Western region, to Mid-Western region and then the Provincial lines of Bendel, Warri/Delta Provinces, then we would realize that the change of the Delta State capital to Asaba is a gross injustice and wrong that must be corrected. Let us also consider the enormous difficult being experienced by Deltans having to travel/move from places like Ogidigben, Ogulagha, Burutu Town, the Excravos and Forcados Areas to Asaba for one official thing or the other. With the Delta State capital relocated to Warri, which is more centrally located, it is a win-win situation for all Deltans, regardless of where one is located within the State.

When things are done in error in the past, then there is need to correct such an error as time progresses. It is time to unite and relocate the Delta State capital from Asaba to Warri. We should not shy away from this reality, but we should take the bull by the horn and do the right thing because according to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, “a peace that is built on lies will crash on the rocks of Middle Eastern reality. You can only build peace on truth”. The population of the Delta Central and Delta South are by far more than the Delta North. The Urhobos, Isokos, Ijaws and Itsekiris need to sensitize our people to ask for the relocation of Delta State capital from Asaba to Warri.

States and their Capitals were created along Provincial lines. If the area we know today as Delta State, was once known as Warri/Delta Province, then the State Capital should be left in Warri and not to have been forcefully taken to Asaba. We urge that the right thing should be done.
Zik Gbemre.
July 7, 2019.
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