Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents Delta Central Senatorial District, has declared that the creation of Ethiope State presents an opportunity to correct decades of historical imbalances.
At the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review’s public hearing in Yenagoa at the weekend, he emphasised that the proposed state would rectify the Urhobo people’s long-standing inequities.
The lawmaker saidt the Urhobo have long faced structural exclusion within Nigeria despite their demographic significance and economic contributions.
He stressed that the creation of Ethiope State would “redress this imbalance, ensure fairer resource allocation, and accelerate infrastructural development.”
Senator Dafinone, who is the vice chairman of the Senate Committees on Local Content and Legislative Compliance, said the proposed Ethiope State, according to the Urhobo people’s submission, would encompass the two Urhobo kingdoms in Warri South local government area, the Urhobo people in Patani local government area, and all eight predominantly Urhobo local government areas.
Dafinone argued that this consolidation would reflect the “demographic and administrative foundation for statehood” that the current structure fails to acknowledge.
Beyond correcting historical injustices, Senator Dafinone highlighted the immense economic potential of Ethiope State, adding that the Urhobo people inhabit some of Nigeria’s most productive oil fields.
“Yet, their communities remain underdeveloped and sidelined in resource management decisions. Urhoboland is a major oil-producing region, yet the people have limited influence over how these resources are managed or reinvested.
“Ethiope State would enable greater control over local resources, catalyse economic growth, and promote responsible resource governance in line with the Petroleum Industry Act,” he stated.
The Urhobo nation is said to be Nigeria’s fifth-largest ethnic nationality and the dominant group in Delta State.
