Posted by By PETRUS OBI, Abakaliki on
The Conference of Governors of the South-East geo-political zone has threatened to boycott the proposed 2005 national census if religion and ethnicity are not reflected in the census data forms.
The Conference of Governors of the South-East geo-political zone has threatened to boycott the proposed 2005 national census if religion and ethnicity are not reflected in the census data forms.
The governors, who rose from a meeting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, Wednesday, said, "we have consulted our people and hereby note that the issues of religion and ethnicity have always been reflected in national issues.
"We therefore resolved and insist that religion and ethnicity should be reflected in the census data forms. If this is not done, we in the South-East have decided to opt out of the 2005 census."
The chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, Dr. Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State, who read the communique at the end of the closed-door meeting, explained that the issues of religion and ethnicity were necessary in determining the actual population of the people of the zone.
"The Igbos want to know their actual number, the same with Hausas and the Yorubas. But, we all know that apart from indigenes of any particular state you go to, Igbos are next in population in any part of this country. Our people are scattered in parts of the country. Therefore, it will be unfair to now count an Igbo man in Sokoto as part of Sokoto, so that at the end we will be able to know the actual population of Igbos in the country."
The governors expressed their support for the National Political Reform Conference, saying that Igbos will present a joint position for the entire South-East at a meeting of all nominees from the constituent states.
"This meeting will be addressed by the Conference of the Governors of the South-East and Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo," they said.
The South-East governors, in the communique, restated their commitment to the emergence of a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2007.
The meeting, which lasted over five hours at the executive council chambers, Government House, Abakaliki, was attended by Dr. Chris Ngige of Anambra, Chief Achike Udenwa of Imo State and Dr. Sam Egwu of Ebonyi.
Explaining the absence of Governors Orji Uzor Kalu and Chimaroke Nnamani of Abia and Enugu states, who were not represented at the meeting, Governor Egwu said the conference had the backing of both governors.
He said that Governor Kalu was out of the country, while Governor Nnamani excused himself, adding, "we are in touch with ourselves and we are together."