The
Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra
(MASSOB) in Owerri, the Imo State capital asked for the
creation of six new republics in the country, including Biafra Republic.
MASSOB
members in their thousands, who converged on the Ojukwu Memorial Centre
in New Owerri for the inaugural edition of the commemoration of Biafra
Day on May 30, when the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared the Republic of Biafra in I967, agreed that the
time was ripe for the Igbos to have their own republic.
MASSOB
leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, decked in the navy blue Biafran uniform
with the other members of his group, urged the Federal Government to do
the will of God and let their people go.
Uwazuruike,
who addressed the large followers of the group in company of two
representatives of MASSOB in the United Kingdom, Mrs Francese Joseph and
Tina Joseph, said May 30 was a watershed in the life of every Igbo man
and woman.
“It
is the watershed in the history of the geographical expression called
Nigeria. It is the aftermath of the mistake of the amalgamation of the
Northern and Southern protectorates by Lord Lugard.
“It
is the reflection of the deep-rooted hatred among the major ethnic
nationalities in Nigeria. It exposes the irreconcilable disdain existing
between Islam and Christianity. It is all about a failed state called
Nigeria”, Uwazuruike said.
The
MASSOB leader noted that 47 years after Ojukwu declared the Republic of
Biafra, the reasons that informed his declaration are still playing out
in the country.
“The
reality of May 30 can no longer be hidden”, Uwazuruike said adding:
“[but] the Abuja politicians and contractors are not deterred. They
believe in the elusive one Nigeria, the one Nigeria that is their cash
cow. The one Nigeria that is their source of corruption and impunity.
The one Nigeria that is their instrument for inequality. The one Nigeria
that is shielding them from all sorts of evils”.
He
expressed dismay that it was the common man who bears the brunt of the
evil perpetrated by the Abuja politicians and contractors, who he said
God has hardened their hearts like the biblical Pharaoh of Egypt.
He
noted that as long as the intent and purpose of the amalgamation of
North and South were to disadvantage the latter, the country would never
make progress.
Speaking
on the state of the nation, Uwazuruike said: “The exercise was not done
with clean hands. It failed to receive the blessing of God. That is why
Nigeria remains a crawling baby after 50 years. The anger of God is on
Nigeria. There is too much blood in Nigeria. The blood of the common man
is used to sustain the evil called Nigeria. Insecurity in Nigeria can
never abate. It is the sign of the anger of God”.
He,
therefore, warned that his group would not guarantee its non-violent
posture if anywhere in Igbo land is bombed or attacked by any militia or
whatever group under any guise.
He
said the only panacea to the myriad of problems bedeviling Nigeria was
to grant independence to the six geo-political zones of the country.
“National
Conference cannot solve the problems of Nigeria because there is
deep-rooted hatred among the different nationalities. The hatred is so
deep and cannot be wished away. We only pretend to love ourselves. The
hatred is natural. It is in our blood. No amount of preaching on
nationalism can change Nigeria.
“The
only solution is to divide Nigeria into six geo-political zones:
namely, South East (Biafra); South West; South South; North East; North
West; and North Central”, he suggested, adding that was what Ojukwu
tried to achieve in 1967 but was misunderstood.
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