A coalition of pan-Igbo groups, the Eastern Consultative
Assembly, on Tuesday elected detained Biafra activist, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as its
new ‘leader’.
Kanu, who also heads a pro-Biafra group, the Indigenous
People of Biafra, is currently in detention at Kuje Prison, Abuja.
He is being prosecuted by the Federal Government over
alleged offences that border on treasonable felony.
Kanu was elected leader of the ECA in absentia at a special
session which held in Enugu.
Others elected at the event include Rev. Fr. John Odey,
Publicity Secretary; Evang. Elliot
Ugochukwu-Ukon Secretary; and Dede Uzor,
Assistant Publicity Secretary.
Foremost Igbo women leader, Chief (Mrs) Maria Okwor, is the
Deputy Leader of the group.
In a communique issued after the election, ECA insisted on
the restructuring of the country.
ECA, in the communique signed by the deputy leader, Okwor,
and the publicity Secretary, Odey, insinuated that national census figures are
rigged to give the impression that the Northern part of the country has a
larger population than the South.
The group noted that the South-East states are actually more
populated than the Northern states.
ECA pointed to the census figures released by the National
Population Commission as one of the reasons it is demanding the restructuring
of the country.
It also noted that the Federal Government’s failure to
restructure the country was one of the factors that revived the agitation for
the actualization of Biafra.
Parts of the communique read, “The fraudulent and oppressive
census figures is one of the reasons the East can no longer accept Nigeria as
presently structured.
“The deliberate asphyxiation of our people with a very
wicked state and local government creation based on land mass is another
reason.
“The refusal to peacefully restructure Nigeria is the reason
the demand for secession is growing louder and louder.
“The demand will only grow louder until justice is done.”
The group equally condemned statements credited to elder
statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, who reportedly expressed annoyance over the
agitation for Biafra.
ECA said Yakassai’s ‘outburst’ against the pro-Biafra
agitation was misplaced.
“Alhaji Tanko Yakassai’s claimed annoyance over the
agitation for secession by IPOB is misplaced.
“Yakassai should kindly provide answers as to why Zamfara
State with NPC acclaimed population of over five million people should immunize
only 74,000 under-five-year-old children during the anti-polio vaccination
exercise, while Imo State with NPC population of under three million immunized
over 300,000 thousand.
“JAMB and WAEC figures year after year also confirm the
fraudulent census figures – Zamfara and Sokoto states with a combined NPC
alleged population of over 11 million enroll only 40,000 candidates while
Anambra State alone with an NPC population of three million produces over 400
thousand candidates,” the communique said.
ECA added that the North’s opposition to calls for the
restructuring of the country during the last national constitutional conference
encouraged the pro-Biafra agitation.
“As for Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu and his Northern delegates to
the confab forum, we say your position by opposing the peaceful restructuring
of Nigeria excites and fueled the secessionists,” the communique noted.
The group, in the same vein, commended the new leadership of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, headed by Chief Nnia Nwodo, “for standing on the side of the
people”.
According to ECA, “It is a welcome breath of fresh air in
comparison with past cowardly Ohanaeze leaderships.”
By Ihuoma Chiedozie
