SECESSION BID BY E. NIGERIA

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 13

SECESSION BID BY E. NIGERIA

Attempt To Form State Of Biafra (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) ENUGU, May 28. Eastern Nigeria’s civilian Consultative Assembly passed a resolution last night calling for secession from the Nigerian Federation and the creation of a sovereign independent Republic of Biafra. The move raised fears of open civil war.

An early radio broadcast from Enugu, the Eastern Region capital, 250 miles east of Lagos, announced that secession had been declared.

However, a later broadcast said the region’s Consultative Assembly had not made a decision but was scheduled to meet again today.

Immediately after the original broadcast Lieutenant, Colonel Yakabu Gowon, Nigeria’s military ruler, went on the radio and announced that he had assumed powers as Commanderin-Chief for "the short period necessary” to counter the secession move. Colonel Gowon- banned all

political activity, meaning that the assembly in the Eastern Region would have to defy the order to meet again today.

N.Z.P.A.-Reuter reported that 300 Assembly members, meeting after a week’s demonstrations demanding Eastern secession, called on the military governor, LieutenantColonel Odumegwu Ojukwu, to declare the republic "at the earliest practicable date.”

Freedom Call They passed a seven-point resolution calling for a ‘Tree, sovereign and independent State of Biafra,” the name of the nearby Atlantic coastal shelf.

The Assembly recommended that Biafra should establish its own diplomatic and commercial relations, join the United Nations, the British Commonwealth and the Organisation of African Unity, adopt a new Federal Constitution based on new provincial units in the present region, and join common services with the remaining parts of Nigeria or any other part of Africa.

The resolution guaranteed the protection of foreigners in Eastern Nigeria. Colonel Ojukwu told the Assembly that Eastern Nigeria must choose between domination by the Northern Region in the present Federal set-up of autonomy. Two Choices

In recent months of constitutional deadlock with the Federal military leader, Colonel Gowon, Eastern Nigeria, is reported to have been building up its armed forces and preparing itself economically for secession. But Colonel Gowon warned earlier last week that he would use force if necessary to keep Nigeria intact.

“We must rise to the challenge and what we do in the next few days will be decisive,” he said. “What is at stake is the very survival of Nigeria as one political, and economic unit” Colonel Gowon accused the Eastern Region of “pushing the country with increasing tempo toward total disintegration and possible civil war and bloodshed.”