AIRPORT GUARD; GOWON ARRIVES AT AIRPORT; GOWON MEETS ENAHORO; GOWON BOARDING AIRCRAFT; AIRCRAFT LEAVING.




Initials GEM/VS/AS/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL LEADER, MAJOR GENERAL YAKUBU GOWON, FLEW TO NIAMEY IN NIGER YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) TO MEET AN ORGANISATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (O.A.U.) COMMITTEE THAT IS TRYING TO END THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR. LAND TODAY SECESSIONIST BIAFRA ANNOUNCED THAT IT TOO WOULD SEND A TOP-LEVEL DELEGATION TO NIAMEY.

GENERAL GOWON RETURNED TO LAGOS LAST NIGHT AFTER TELLING THE SIX HEADS OF STATE WHO MAKE UP THE COMMITTEE THAT THE FEDERAL NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT STILL INSISTED THAT BIAFRA MUST RENOUNCE SECESSION BEFORE THERE CAN BE PEACE. THEN THIS MORNING, HE FLEW BACK TO THE NIGER CAPITAL FOR FURTHER TALKS.

HOURS EARLIER, AN OFFICIAL BROADCAST FROM BIAFRA WELCOMED AN INVITATION TO MEET THE COMMITTEE TOMORROW, BUT SAID THAT BECAUSE OF TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES IN THE BLOCKADED AREA A DELEGATION WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH NIAMEY BEFORE THE WEEKEND. THE BROADCAST DID NOT SAY WHETHER THE SECESSIONIST LEADER, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ODUMEGWU OJUKWU WOULD PERSONALLY GO TO NIAMEY.

THE COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF THE HEADS OF STATE OF NIGER, ETHIOPIA, CAMEROUN, CONGO-KINSHASA, LIBERIA AND GHANA. IT'S MANDATE FROM THE O.A.U. IS TO HELP THE FEDERAL NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT MAINTAIN TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, BUT AN OFFICIAL DESCRIBED ITS FUNCTION AS A LAST EFFORT TO BRING PEACE TO NIGERIA.