By Emeka Mamah, Francis Igata, Peter Okutu, Chimaobi Nwaiwu & Chinonso Alozie, Vanguard
The movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, yesterday, lashed out on the leader of MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, accusing him of hypocrisy and deceit over his call for the unconditional release of the incarcerated director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government.
This came as the former Chairman of Police Service Commission, PSC, Chief Simon Okeke cautioned some Igbo elders to “stop making pronouncements that can be very infuriating and dishonourable to the agitating groups . He also urged them to speak out early when youths start derailing, instead of keeping what he called “criminal silence” and subsequently condemning them when things get out of hand.
MASSOB and IPOB leaders after their joint meeting attended by other leaders of the two groups said: “Chief Uwazurike’s appeal was “an expression full of insincerity.”
The groups’ statement made available to newsmen by Mr. Uchenna Madu, and spokesman of IPOB Mr. Emma Powerful on behalf of other leaders, also alleged that “Uwazurike has never liked Mr. Kanu because he (Kanu) is becoming more popular, consistent and trusted by Biafra agitators,” adding that “in Uwazurike’s mind, he is happy with Kanu’s ordeal in the hands of the Federal Government .”
Chief Uwazurike while addressing loyalists and friends of MASSOB who stormed Owerri for the third anniversary of the exit of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, which had Ojukwu’s wife, Chief Bianca Ojukwu, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun and Major Hamza Al- Mustapha in attendance had called for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
“We do not believe in Uwazuruike’s call for Mr. Kanu’s release, just as we condemn the speech at Ojukwu Memorial ceremony where he also said that some people claiming to be champions in their little knowledge, forget that Igboland is landlocked and the five states of South East contribute less than eight per cent of the economy of Nigeria. That is the height of his deceit that he is actually fighting for the actualization of Biafra. It is a statement of somebody that has been compromised, and should not be taken serious.
“That statement was indirectly encouraging the Nigeria government to continue their detention and persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the current Biafra hero. If not, how can somebody like Uwazurike be making such comments and he wants people to take him serious? We saw where he was going and we decided to leave him,” they said. Read full on Vanguard
