Saturday, 9 November 2013
UWAZURIKE ORDER THE KILLING 0F 18 EX-MASSOB MEMBER- ASSOCIATION OF IGBO YOUTH PETITION AIG
Association
of Igbo Youths(AIYO) have alleged that leader of the Movement for the
Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazurike and
his cohorts murdered 18 of their members for refusing to return back to MASOB.
They alleged that the 18 murdered youths are among the thousands who resigned
from MASSOB when it was obvious that Uwazurike have turned the separatist
outfit into money spinning Business Empire. They asked MASSOB to stop all
violent activities in Anambra State or face the music.
This was contained in a petition addressed to the Assistant
Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 9, Umuahia, submitted on the 1st of
November, 2013. The group alleged in their petition signed by their National
Coordinator, Comrade Chukwuemeka James Ugah and Anambra State Coordinator, Mr
Odinikpo Ananwude that;
1.
That they were former members of MASSOB who worked very closely with Chief Raph
Uwazurike and therefore knows him very well.
2. That Chief Raph Uwazurike misled them with the falsehood,
that within few months or years Biafra will be a sovereign state, where all
their sufferings in Nigeria will be a thing of the past.
3. That Chief Raph Uwazurike instead of actualizing Biafra swindled
Ndi-Igbo Millions of Naira. In 2007, those of them who found out that MASSOB is
a farce formed AIYO and registered same with CAC.
4. That Chief Raph Uwazurike uses MASSOB to dupe politicians and
unsuspecting members of the public, and that evidence is legion.
5 That when they confronted Chief Raph Uwaurike following
inexplicable sufferings, he dismissed them with the statement that MASSOB is
for himself and members of Chief Ralph Uwazurike’s family and that they should
go and form their own organization.
6. That many members of MASSOB who died during one MASSOB
activity or another particularly 2003 and 2006, are still in
mortuaries,-particularly Owerri Rd Mortuary, Onitsha.
7 That Chief Raph Uwazurike boasts that he is above the law in
Nigeria and that no person or government can question him for any reason, even
if he kills or orders the killing of anybody.
8 That on the 14th of July 2013, members of MASSOB on the orders
of Chief Ralph Uwazurike attacked and killed about 18 members of AIYO because
they refused to return back to MASSOB
9 That Chief Raph Uwazurike and his cohorts on several occasions
violently infringed on their fundamental human rights (freedom of association)
by forcing them violently to become MASSOB members even inflicting injuries on
them, while illegally detaining them.
In the same vein, the Assistant National Secretary of Ohanaeze
Ndigbo, Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu had also alleged that Chief Ralph
Uwazurike had ordered his abduction to the MASSOB Headquarters Okwe. In a
follow-up petition addressed to the AIG Zone 9 and the Governors of Abia and
Anambra States, Okpalaukwu alleged that Uwazurike was after his life for
assisting AIYO present a paper under which the group streamlined Igbo interests
on October 30th at Umuahia to the Presidential Advisory Committee on National
Dialogue. Those who signed the second petition with Okpalaukwu and whose lives
were allegedly threatened include Messres Ogugua Iweka, Ifeanyi Ojadi, John
Nweke and Anthony Ifediora.
Reacting to the issue, the Enugu State Chairman of National
Youth Council, Mr Temple Chinedu Chika, described the situation as unfortunate.
According to Mr Temple, nobody should take another person’s life for failing to
belong to an organization. He told concerned clerics that “MASSOB is outliving
its usefulness and Uwazurike cannot claim to be fighting for Igbo cause when
the Igbos are yet to sit down and articulate the cause and mandate him to fight
it.” According to Mr Temple “running around Abuja to curry favour is not the
same as fighting Igbo cause and therefore, Uwazurike or any other person cannot
represent Ndigbo without the consent of Igbos”.
Another founding member of MASSOB who had fallen out with
Uwazurike, and owner of popular Rojenny Centre Obah, Chief Remmy Ezeonwuka has described
the threat to life of ex-MASSOB members as unfortunate. Chief Ezeonwuka
described Uwazurike as a person who turned the MASSOB dream into a business
empire and they left the outfit to him. He expressed sadness that the dreams of
the group has been destroyed by selfish attitude and opined that “we will not
tolerate any further loss of life of former MASSOB members under any guise, Our
late leader Odumegwu Ojukwu will be definitely sad that MASSOB ideals is being
betrayed” .
Discussing the issue with groups of clerics led by Rev Obinna
Akukwe, the former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife sued
for peace between MASSOB and AIYO. According to the former Governor, “though
Uwazzurike has his excesses, we cannot afford to wash dirty linen in public, I
have offered to broker peace between the groups to avoid further bloodshed, the
groups appear to fight part of Igbo cause and any misunderstanding must be
settled”. Ezeife appealed to people not to take laws into their hands and asked
both MASSOB and the aggrieved to show restraint. He asked the clerics to look
into the spirit and tell them what God is saying concerning the Igbo nation.
A chieftain of MASSOB residing at Onitsha who pleaded anonymity
has describe the AIYO as groups of ruffians, hemp smokers and jobless persons
whose activities are inimical to the ideals of MASSOB. He pledged unflinching
loyalty to the leadership of Uwazurike which he described as visionary and
focused and asked the runaway MASSOB members to return to the fold or shut up.
The General Assembly of all Igbo Christian organizations and
Ministers (GAAICOM) have asked all feuding parties to avoid further fracas and
await intervention by concerned elders. The group mandated its Director of
Media and Publicity, Rev Obinna Akukwe, to liaise with the leadership of
Ohanaeze to ensure that peace returns and Igbo youths do not fight each other
when other tribes are preparing for national dialogue. The General Coordinator
of the group, Apostle Dr PCJ Macjossy told the clerics that if Igbo Youths
cannot resolve simple differences, then there is no hope for future generations
of Ndigbo.
SHARE THIS POST
Designer: Emeka
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments: