By: Unwana Archibong Onyung
Initial Struggle For State Creation (Akwa Ibom State)
The long struggle for self-determination stated in 1928 by Ibibio Union, which followed by the state movement.
Nevertheless, in 1945 during the formation of the three region by the Governor General of Nigeria, Sir Arthur Richard, the Ibibio Union began the agitation for a separate state and had its name changed from Ibibio Union to "Ibibio State Union" in Ibibio.
By this singular act, the Ibibio State Union became the first ethnic group in Nigeria to advocate for the states creation.
Besides, after series of consultations by our political leaders with the Federal Military Government on their stand in state creation, Gen. Gowon in a nationwide broadcast declared on 27th May, 1967, "I wish to make it clear to the Nation that honesty, I personally have no vested interest in the creation of any particular state", but this is no doubt that without a definite commitment on the state creation, normally and freedom from fear of domination by one region or the other cannot be achieved".
After the announcement of 12 states, the South Eastern State was an invaluable fruition of victory to Heroes and agitation of the COR State Movement. Meanwhile, with the successfully creation of the South Eastern State, our political leaders renewed the struggle for Akwa Ibom State creation.
The Federal Military Government under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Murtala Mohammed created additional seven new states in 1975, but Akwa Ibom State as a whole decided to come into one umbrella named "Ibibio Union".
