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MASSOB: We’ll only allow 2018 census in Igbo land if….

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MASSOB: We’ll only allow 2018 census in Igbo land if….

Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has stated that it would only take part in the proposed 2018 national census if certain conditions are met.

According to the group, “MASSOB is considering allowing next year’s national census because of the intervention of some prominent Igbo leaders and with the conditions MASSOB will outline”.

The group in a statement on Thursday by Mr Uchenna Madu, said it regretted what happened in 2006 when MASSOB prevailed on the people to shun the exercise, which led to low turnout in Igbo-speaking states.

He however stated that the 2006 directive showcased MASSOB’s strength, popularity and acceptance in Igbo land, adding that it would now allow its people to be counted.

The statement read in part, “As every revolutionary struggle for independence has its methodology and can adopt any measure that would help yield positive results, MASSOB is considering allowing next year’s national census because of the intervention of some prominent Igbo leaders and with the conditions MASSOB will outline, which includes the inclusion of religion to ascertain the actual number of Muslims, traditionalists and Christians. The inclusion of religion will also enable us to know the number of oriental sects and religions in Nigeria.

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“Another condition which MASSOB is giving is the inclusion of ethnicity, which will immensely assist in knowing the total number of indigenous people and their tribes in Nigeria, which will also help to put to rest the ethnic arguments of the largest Nigerian ethnic groups, or the major and minor tribes.
“MASSOB is also insisting that during the 2018 census exercise, every citizen residing outside his/her state of origin must be allowed to travel to his/her state for the counting to enable us know the exact population of each state as it is done internationally.”

Already, the National Population Commission (NPC) has begun the enumeration exercise in the buildup to the 2018 census in parts of the country.

The commission had also appealed to MASSOB and other pro-Biafra agitators to allow the people to be counted as the exercise was mainly to ensure proper national planning.

This is even as it had announced that religion and ethnicity will be included in the proposed national census to be conducted in 2018.

NPC Chairman, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) disclosed in Abuja recently while speaking with newsmen ahead of the phase three Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) that “Those things that ought to be there like religion and ethnicity; we want Nigerians to be involved. The assurance I gave out is that those things you mentioned would not be left out in the census we are contemplating”, he had stated.

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