COLONEL OJUKWU, THE LEADER OF THE SECESSIONIST EASTERN REGION OF NIGERIA NOW CALLING ITSELF THE REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA, CALLED A MEETING OF THE BIAFRAN CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY AND COUNCIL OF CHIEFS IN OWERRI ON SATURDAY TO ANNOUNCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW BIAFRAN CURRENCY. THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY, COLONEL OJUKWU TOLD NEWSMEN AT UMUAHIA THAT HE BELIEVED THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL FORCES LAY IN NEGOTIATIONS, BUT THAT BIAFRAN WERE PREPARED TO CONTINUE THE WAR IF THE FEDERAL SIDE INSISTED ON SETTLING THE ISSUE BY FORCE.

AT OVERRI, ABOUT 130 MILES (209 KMS) SOUTH OF ENUGU, COLONEL OJUKWU WAS CHEERED BY BIAFRAN LEADERS WHEN HE TOLD THEM OF THE NEW BIAFRAN CURRENCY. THIS FOLLOWS THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT'S INTRODUCTION OF NEW CURRENCY NOTES IN AN EFFORT TO RENDER WORTHLESS BIAFRAN HOLDINGS OF THE OLD FEDERAL CURRENCY. COLONEL OJUKWU DESCRIBED THE NIGERIAN ACTIONS AS ONE WHICH HAD FINALLY PUSHED THE EASTERN REGION OUT OF THE NIGERIAN FEDERATION.

ADDRESSING NEWSMEN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE NEXT DAY IN UMUAHIA, COLONEL OJUKWU SAID....
(VISITING NEWSMEN WERE TOLD BY A BIAFRAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN IN PORT HARBOUR THAT BIAFRA HAD ENOUGH FOREIGN RESERVES TO KEEP GOING "FOR A LONG TIME". HE SAID THE MAIN BIAFRAN IMPORTS SINCE THE CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL FORCES BEGAN LAST SUMMER HAD BEEN WAR MATERIALS.)