MASSOB/BIM says Military "Coup or not" Won't Stop their Agitation

The Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB and Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, yesterday stated that military coup d’tat or not in Nigeria, as speculated in some quarters, would not deter the movement from carrying out its non-violent struggle to actualize Biafra.

MASSOB/BIM contended that even if Nigerians wake up tomorrow morning and discover that the military has toppled the present democratic government in place, the movement would not mind because the MASSOB/BIM leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike had actually wanted to start the current agitations in 1997 during the Abacha military regime but one thing or the other shifted it to 1999 during Obasanjo’s regime.

In a press statement issued yesterday to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra state, shortly after the inspection of MASSOB/BIM’s information office at Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo state, MASSOB/BIM’s National Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha noted that the group met the requirements of UN to carry out its separatist agitation when in 1999 Uwazuruike notified the UN by applying for an observer status and also accompanied this request with the Biafra bill of rights.

Mocha expressed confidence that MASSOB/BIM and others have convinced the UN through its actions that there will be no peace in Nigeria unless independence is granted to them.

He, therefore, urged MASSOB/BIM members to increase its non-violent activities in south-east and south-south, adding that self-determination is permitted by the United Nations, UN, even as military regime is illegal and therefore not recognised by the world body to stop agitations.

He observed that, although UN will not sponsor any rebellious act in any nation including Nigeria that is a member of the UN, the organisation permitted that any section of its member states or nation that wants independence is free to pursue the course holistically.

Mocha expressed optimism that the UN will normally intervene in Nigeria’ when the further existence of the member state becomes questionable and ungovernable, he lamented that before now, that the world body had played double standard in tackling the conflicts or crises affecting the Africa continent.

Mocha accused Britain and other western nations that it had always waited until such problems degenerated into civil wars or genocide before it intervened.