COLONEL OJUKWU ADDRESSING THE ASSEMBLY AND, THE FOLLOWING DAY, SPEAKING TO NEWSMEN (SOF).



"THE TRAGEDY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION IS THAT AN INDIFFERENT WORLD HAS CHOSEN TO APPEAL IGNORANT OF THE TRUE POSITION AND FACTS ABOUT THE NIGERIA-BIAFRA CONFLICT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ALLOWING ITSELF TO BE FED WITH TENDENTIOUS PROPAGANDA FROM NIGERIA. OUR ENEMY ARE OF COURSE AFRAID -- TERRIBLY AFRAID -- BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEIR CASE CANNOT STAND THE SEARCHLIGHTS OF TRUTH AND MORALITY. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING, EVEN BEFORE THE START OF HOSTILITIES, TO SCARE AWAY IMPARTIAL OBSERVERS FROM THIS REPUBLIC. WE HAVE OFTEN REPEATED THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR NOTHING MORE THAN A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT OF THE PRESENT BLOODY CONFLICT. WE ARE PREPARED TO STATE OUT CASE BEFORE ANY IMPARTIAL BODY. CONFIDENT THAT OUR CASE AND CAUSE ARE JUST. OUR CASE IS SO CLEAR THAT EVEN A CHILD IN THE STREET CAN PRESENT IT CONVINCINGLY."




Initials RM/VS/AS/BB



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Background: 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.)