There is palpable tension in the Headquarters of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in Okwe, Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, following a marching order given to some key officers of the movement by the leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.
DailyPost gathered that the officers, National Chief Security Officer, Chief Security Driver, National Secretary, Chief Intelligent Officer (four National Commanders) and over two hundred Security men camped at MASSOB headquarters, since 2006 were by the announcement of Uwazuruike given one week to vacant Okwe or external force would be used against them.
The National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu on Friday raised alarm that by the action of the MASSOB Leader, the Movement was “about to collapse as its leader seemed to have compromised”.
Madu described the affected officers as being diligent, loyal, faithful and committed to the MASSOB struggle, adding that “they have been arrested, tortured, detained, persecuted and even abandon by their families in the cause of MASSOB struggle; many are living with their wives and children”.
In a statement, Madu, who expressed worry over the possible outcome of Uwazuruike’s announcement said, “As national Security men, they have followed our leader to almost all his official and personal engagements. They are more confided with Uwazuruike than other administrative officers.
“Now our leader has ordered for their forceful exit from MASSOB because they advised him to reduce the monthly national dues of N10,000.00 minimum from each Area Administrator. In MASSOB set up, each Local Government Area, as a region, consists of at least 20 Area Administrators, who paid their dues into Uwazuruike’s personal Account in first Bank Plc. and they told Uwazuruike that since millions of naira are flowing into MASSOB as leverage and financial support from external sources including the money from Igbo politicians who sought for MASSOB members vote and political support and also funds from other sources seeking MASSOB support for 2015 General Election, he should stop or reduce the MASSOB members’ monthly dues paid to him.
“They also reminded Uwazuruike that the money he assured members that will be paid into their special bank accounts, has been released to MASSOB but he refused to distribute the money to members. They also reminded him that some dead members are still in mortuary in Onitsha as abandoned corpses, some that were shot dead by security agents without seeing their corpses, they have not been accorded proper burial rites, the families of dead members have been forgotten without proper care.
“He was also reminded that some members who died in Onitsha at old spare parts market was as a result his order to regional administrators to take full charge and operate like governors as parallel government to Governor Peter Obi.
“During our last National meeting at Owerri, Uwazuruike in his usual way of blackmailing me before the members claimed that he spent N400,000.00 during the burial of my late father, Mazi John Ejimchukwu Madu but I see this proud talk as an insult to my late father and late step mother whose deaths were caused by my long incarceration between 2005 and 2009 as a result of psychological trauma. I was arrested, persecuted, detained because of Uwazuruike, MASSOB and Ndigbo in general not as a criminal.
“Uwazuruike is not happy with us because we supported and voted for APGA during the last governorship election in Anambra State. We ignored his directive to vote for labour party because of our great Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who always reminded us that APGA and MASSOB are children of the same parents and we must support APGA. We decided to obey Ojukwu even in death and will continue to support Igbo interest in Nigeria.
“Instead of our leader to make some corrections or clear himself from these allegations of embezzlement of money, he started blackmailing his officers, who have suffered for him as saboteurs and enemies of Biafra.
“Now the security men and other administrative officers at MASSOB Headquarters, Okwe have vowed that they have no other place to go after spending over 14 years in MASSOB, and they will resist any attempt by Uwazuruike to dislodge them from MASSOB Headquarters, which was built with MASSOB Money. Any attempt to push them out of Okwe may result to MASSOB members going into all sorts of criminalities in Igboland”.
It was gathered that the aggrieved members, who Uwazuruike has asked to leave have vowed to liberate thousands of members that had been brainwashed and hypnotized.
Madu in his statement, therefore, called on Ndigbo to stand up and save MASSOB.
He said, “We appeal to patriotic Igbo leaders including the Governors, members of parliament, traditional rulers, religious leaders, Ohaneze Ndigbo and well meaning Igbos to intervene now and save MASSOB from total collapse and imminent bloodshed at Okwe before two weeks.
“We love MASSOB and Igbo land. As other ethnic regions have their own political pressure group, MASSOB is our own, the pride of Ndigbo, MASSOB belongs to Ndigbo.
“As a result of this development, the zeal of the Biafran struggle has waxed cold, thousand of members are confused, many have lost confidence on possibility of Biafra actualization. Ndigbo should rise now or our enemies will laugh at us”, he said.
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