MASSOB defies directive to give up Biafra struggle

– Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has accused the south-east APC leaders calling for the abandonment of the Biafra struggle of being only after their personal interests

– The group flays the politicians for not speaking out against the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen in the south-east

– Alleges that most of the south-east APC leaders did nothing for the Igbos while they held key federal positions in previous administrations

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has defied a directive by leaders of the south-east zone of the APC urging pro-Biafra groups to give up the struggle for the actualisation of an independent state of Biafra.

The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige and other leaders of the south-east zone of the APC had in a communique issued after a meeting in Enugu on Friday, April 8, called “on all the groups agitating for separation from Nigeria, particularly the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra to rethink and abandon the idea, and join other ethnic groups in building a formidable Nigeria where all Nigerians will be equally treated in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Some prominent Igbo politicians at the meeting were a former governor of the old Anambra state, Chief Jim Nwobodo; a former minister of labour and productivity, Emeka Wogu; and a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Agunwa Anakwe.

Others were senators Emma Agboti, Chris Adighije, Nkechi Nwogu, Ifeanyi Ararume, Nweke Gbazuagu, a former Imo State House of Assembly Speaker, Benjamin Uwajumogu; Osita Izunaso, George Muoghalu, and Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu.

But MASSOB in defiance to the directive urged the Igbo and the members of the other ethnic nationalities in the south-east to disregard the advice of the Igbo APC chieftains.

The group in a release through its national director of information, Samuel Edeson, accused the south-east APC leaders of being only after their personal interests.

“MASSOB wishes to reply the South-East APC over the call on MASSOB/IPOB to abandon the idea of agitating for the independence of Biafra and to join them in building Nigeria.

“MASSOB is calling on the Ndigbo and all ‘Biafrans’ to disregard these Abuja politicians who have no conscience. All they are interested in are their personal interests,” Edeson said.

The group flayed the politicians for not speaking out against what it described as the murderous activities of Fulani herdsmen in the south-east, alleging that most of the south-east APC leaders did nothing for the Igbos while they held key federal positions in previous administrations

“None of them can beat his chest boldly and say that this is what I have done for the Ndigbo. While calling MASSOB and IPOB to drop the Biafra agenda, they left Fulani herdsmen that have been killing our people, raping our women and destroying our farmland at will.

“We will no longer allow these Abuja politicians to come to Igboland and deceive our people in the name of fighting for Igbo presidency. None of these men who claimed to be heavyweight politicians has ever challenged the evil done to our people.

 “The Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, all the federal roads and railway lines in the South-East are deathtraps.

In another development, pro-Biafra groups in the southeast have accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of planning to tag Biafra groups as terror movement to find grounds to decimate its members.

Speaking on the backdrop of recent accusations by the DSS that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) kidnapped and killed some Hausa-Fulani residents in Abia state, the IPOB and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) said the accusation was a plot by the agency to incite genocide against Igbos in the North.