People from Kogi and Edo States have set in motion the process of demanding for the creation of what they called “Egbira State.”
The people, under the canopy of Ohiku Egbira Descendants Union (OEDU), in a Communique issued at the end of the two-day world Ohiku Day convention at Etuno-Igarra, Edo State on December 9 and 10, resolve to go ahead with the demand for the creation of Egbira State.
In the Communiqué, the Ohiku Egbira Descendants Union resolved “to revive the demand for the creation of Egbira state as a means to fast track the development of Egbira Nation.”
It also resolved as follows:
To continuously intensify the promotion and the propagation of our gazetted name Egbira, spelt as E-G-B-I-R-A .
To pursue the establishment of a formidable Women and Youth Wings of Egbira Nation as a vehicle for the articulation of our strengths, culture and common values.
To inculcate the rich cultural values of the Egbira people as a means for cohesion and to fight youth restiveness, drug addiction, crimes and general insecurity.
To use all lawful means possible to protect Egbira Nation from Banditry, kidnapping and all forms of terrorism and armed attacks whenever, wherever.
According to the communiqué, every Egbira son and daughter at, and in Diaspora is a bonafide member of the Ohiku Egbira Descendants union.
It said that the unity of Egbira people is sacrosanct to the social-political and economic well being of the Egbira Nation, adding that the Union would tap into the vast potential of the rich, massive resources across the length and breadth of the Egbira Nation.
It asked all Egbira people to fully participate and take advantage of the upcoming National Population Census and adopt EGBIRA in all entries and other official correspondences.
This is even as it moved to strengthen its existing Internal Conflict Resolution Mechanism to address flashpoints in the Egbira Nation, enjoining respective contending parties to make needed sacrifices and compromises in the interest of Peace and Unity.
The communiqué said that the meeting of Peoples of Egbira Nation was attended by Royal fathers and stakeholders from Opete, Miyakan and Etuno, which deliberated on their position among the comity of Ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
The meeting was chaired by justice Suleiman Galadima, a retired justice of the Supreme court and was coordinated by the Ohiku Egbira Descendants union, the Umbrella body of the Egbira Nation.
The communiqué said that Egbira speaking people are predominantly in Kogi, Nasarawa,Edo states as well as Federal Capital territory who are of The same Ohiku heritage with some minor dialectical differences.