A coalition of groups from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria’s South-east, has demanded that the state be granted the status of an independent republic.
The leaders of the groups presented their demand in a communique issued after a worldwide meeting held virtually on June 5.
This demand adds to the ongoing agitations in different parts of Nigeria, with the notable one being championed by IPOB, a pro-Biafra group which has been proscribed by the Nigerian government, and a similar one by some Yoruba groups in the country’s South-west.
“Akwa Ibom land must be independent and free,” the groups said in the communique.
“We demand an end to the political and economic ‘colonisation’ of Akwa Ibom by the Nigerian State,” they added.
The leaders of the coalition said they represent seven million Akwa Ibom population and that the state has enough natural and human resources to sustain the population.
“We must honour our children and grandchildren in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria and the Diaspora by seeking for an establishment of an independent, democratic Akwa Ibom Nation in strict accordance with the international statutes and conventions of the United Nations.
“We shall adopt and submit a map that clearly delineates the constituent areas of the people of Akwa Ibom and demonstrates the aspiration of the Akwa Ibom people to establish their own sovereignty from the Nigerian State,” the communique stated.
The group mentioned the 1999 Nigerian constitution as part of their complaints against Nigeria.
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