By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka— THE Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, said, yesterday, that it would support the 2018 national census, regretting what happened in 2006 when MASSOB prevailed on the people to boycott the exercise, which led to low turnout in all Igbo-speaking states.

Enumeration exercise has already begun in parts of the country preparatory for the exercise, with the National Population Commission, NPC, appealing to MASSOB and other pro-Biafra agitators to allow the people to be counted because the exercise was mainly to ensure proper national planning.

MASSOB leader, Mr Uchenna Madu, said in a statement in Awka that it was unfortunate that Ndigbo misunderstood its position during the 2006 national census, adding, however, that MASSOB used the action then to showcase its strength, popularity and acceptance in Igbo land.

According to Madu, it was also the primary aim of MASSOB to use the opposition to the 2006 census to draw the attention of the international community, including the United Nations, to the plight of Biafrans.

Madu said: “Though the low turnout of South-East during the last census exercise was used by our enemies and Nigerian government to undermine and shortchange Ndigbo in Nigeria, it was part of our sacrifice for Biafra.

Members of the Movement for the Survival of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) during their rally to mark the 17th anniversary of the movement.

“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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, the MASSOB leader has lambasted the leader of Biafra Independence Movement,BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, for saying that Biafra would be actualized without gunshots.

He said: “From inception of the current struggle for Biafra actualization and restoration, MASSOB then under Uwazuruike, who was expelled November 30, 2015 at MASSOB headquarters, Okwe, lost about one thousand members through gunshots by Nigerian security agents, including hundreds of IPOB members through the same gunshots in many cities of Biafra land.

“How can Uwazuruike, who claimed to be championing the cause of Biafra, confidently and boldly, declare that Biafra will be actualized without gunshots? What other gunshots was he referring to? Is he referring to the war of 1967-1970? He has no regard for the people that died through these gunshots.”

“MASSOB knows that Uwazuruike will not want or like Biafrans rising in defence of themselves or engaging in a war with Nigeria because he does not want to lose his numerous investments in Owerri, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja. Our people are in detention, many are missing, maimed and killed by gunshots of our oppressors, yet Uwazurike is saying that there will be no gunshots.”