Ex- Director of mobilization and contact, Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Sam Ike has condemned the Federal Government’s plans to celebrate the nation’s centenary next year, describing it as unnecessary.
In a chat with journalists, Ike who is the leader of United Eastern Congress, said the centenary celebration was unnecessary since the amalgamation was not in the interest of people of the South East and South South geo-political zones.
“We are against the amalgamation and by extension the centenary celebration because it was done for the administrative convenience of the colonial masters and not for Nigeria’s development,” Ike said.
He lamented that since the amalgamation was done, the Igbos have been on the receiving end in so many fronts, stressing that the present situation of things in the country does not call for celebrations.
“What are we celebrating? Since the so called amalgamation, the Igbos have been suffering in Nigeria in terms of killings, marginalization and all what not, so what are we celebrating? The funds which has been mapped out for this celebrations can be used to provide the much needed infrastructure in the country, ” he lamented.
It would be recalled that the federal government had set up a committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim to plan for the nation’s celebration of 100 years of the amalgamation of the southern and northern protectorates in 1914, which holds in 2014.
