▁separation ▁and ▁even ▁encourag ed ▁it . ▁The ▁then ▁Eastern ▁Region ▁had ▁the ▁third , ▁fourth ▁and ▁fifth ▁largest ▁ind igen ous ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁including ▁Ig bo , ▁E fik - I bib io ▁and ▁I j aw . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁the ▁old ▁eastern ▁region ▁had ▁a ▁major ▁crisis ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁professor ▁E yo ▁It a ▁from ▁office ▁by ▁the ▁majority ▁Ig bo ▁tribe ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁eastern ▁region . ▁It a , ▁an ▁E fik ▁man ▁from ▁Cal ab ar , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione er ▁national ists ▁for ▁Niger ian ▁independence . ▁The ▁minor ities ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁the ▁I bib io , ▁Ann ang , ▁E fik , ▁I j aw ▁and ▁O go ja , ▁were ▁situated ▁along ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁coast ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁delta ▁region ▁and ▁demanded ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁the ▁Cal ab ar - O go ja - R ivers ▁( C OR ) ▁state . ▁The ▁struggle ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁C OR ▁state ▁continued ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁issue ▁concerning ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁minor ities ▁in ▁Niger ia ▁during ▁deb ates ▁in ▁Europe ▁on ▁Niger ian ▁independence . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁crisis , ▁Professor ▁E yo ▁It a ▁left ▁the ▁N CN C ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁new ▁political ▁party ▁called ▁the ▁National ▁Independ ence ▁Party ▁( N IP ) ▁which ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁Niger ian ▁political ▁parties ▁represented ▁at