Biafra Day: Ignore MASSOB Sit-At-Home Order, BZM Tells Igbos

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, May 10th, 2018

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The May 30th, Sit-at-home call by the Ralph Uwazurike led Movement for Actualization of Sovereign state of Biafra, MASSOB, and proscribed indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has suffered a setback, as another foremost group in the struggle, Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, has asked Igbos to ignore the call and go about their normal business that day.

African Examiner recalled that the two pro-Biafra groups had in different statements urged the people of the defunct Biafra to sit at home on May 30 in commemoration of the declaration of Biafra in 1966 by late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Addressing newsmen in Enugu Wednesday, self-acclaimed President of the BZF, Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, said instead of sitting at home, people of the area should rather assemble at the Enugu Government House where he claimed he would declare Biafra on May 30.

While faulting the strategy being adopted by the IPOB, Onwuka stated, “You can’t get Biafra by sitting at home; there is a saying in the Bible, ‘faith without work is dead’; you must act so that the United States of America can hear you.

“I’m saying it loud and clear; don’t listen to IPOB; we have been doing it since 2003, what have we achieved with the sit-at-home? Has it worked? They should also stop all these protests in London, New York, China and the rest of the world. They have freedom of expression in those countries, and that is the highest you can get from them. Has any leader in those countries say anything about Biafra? So, these protests by IPOB is a waste of time.

“Making protest in Rome and London is noise making. We have to concentrate on America’s support. IPOB has not won Biafrans any friendship across the world from their sit-at-home and protests.”

He reiterated his call that Biafrans, “wherever you are in the world, wherever you are in Nigeria or Africa, come back home on or before May 30th.

“We are telling Biafrans not to sit at home thinking that Manna will fall from heaven for them; it is not possible.

“There will be public holiday on May 30; I’m appealing to all market traders, are you in Enugu, are you in Onitsha, are you in Lagos, are you in Alaba, are you in Ariara Market Aba, Ogbete Enugu, wherever you are, bear it in mind business without security is nothing.

“I’m bringing everybody to Enugu, let everybody come, we shall win because we have US backing. So, all schools, should remain closed that day. We shall restore our educational system as soon as we declare Biafra.

“Please don’t sit at home, we have done it for 15 years, no significance; all your investments in Lagos and Abuja are nothing without Biafra.”

He insisted that the sit-at-home strategy has done more harm than good to the Igbo race, hence the need to discard it.