By Nwabueze Okonkwo
ONITSHA—Leader  of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB,  Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has accused those he identified as Igbo elites of helping to sabotage  Biafran efforts during the civil war which according to him, resulted in the defeating of Biafra and the current treatment of Ndigbo as slaves in Nigeria.

He said it was ironical that the same saboteurs were  comfortable with the pitiable condition of the Igbo to the extent that  rather than protecting their fellow Igbo kinsmen, they were collaborating with their oppressors to harm us while at the same time still masquerading themselves as Igbo leaders.

Ralph Uwazuruike, MASSOB leader

Uwazuruike who spoke in a press statement issued on his behalf by Director of Information for  Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, Mazi Chris Mocha, noted that all these anomalies were responsible for his decision to float the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra,  MASSOB  and later BIM.

According to Uwazuruike, “when I started the current agitation for new Biafra republic, one of my major challenges was convincing Ndigbo in 1999 that my quest for the new nation would never cause another civil war in the country”.

He recalled that the situation which led Ndigbo to fight the 1967-1970 war was still prevalent today, declaring that the Biafra struggle was currently making much progress.

but added that little work is needed to be done.

Uwazuruike further recalled that it was as a result of the agitation for the actualization of Biafra that the federal government in 2002 thought it fit and converted the dismissal of ex-Nigerian soldiers who served in the Biafran army to retirement.

He also listed among others that it was on the heels of MASSOB-BIM’s exposure of crime of injustice against Ndigbo that the government led by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo appointed one of Igbo police officers, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onovo as an Inspector-General of Police, IGP and later on made Amb. Aguiyi-Ironsi (retd) the Minister of Defence (Army) on  February, 2007,three months to the exit of his administration and 32 years after the civil war.

Explaining further, Uwazuruike stated that it was the courageous approach of MASSOB to the Biafran struggle for independence that probably encouraged the Justice Eze Ozobu-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo to make a bold representation to the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Commission on Human Rights where Ohanaeze demanded among others anN8.7 trillion as compensation for the many years of injustice against Ndigbo.

“For many years, the Igbo nation had suffered internal colonialism, indignity, exploitation, apartheid, exclusion and marginalization in silence hoping and praying fervently to God that a Moses would emerge one day to tell Nigerian Pharaoh’s in Abuja to let my people go”

“When I started the struggle, one of my major challenges was trying to convince Ndigbo that my quest for The New Biafra will not cause another civil war, now I feel fulfilled that actually my quest has not caused another civil war”.

“My observation is that Nigerians have been under Pharaoh’s-like leaders who all agreed and glorified in the persecution of Ndigbo but my greatest regret is that those who should have protected Ndigbo are rather collaborating with our oppressors and are still masquerading themselves as Igbo leaders”.

“I must emphasize at this juncture that the problem of Ndigbo has gone beyond marginalization hence MASSOB-BIM insists on independence from Nigeria”.