By Chuks Eke
As the Biafra Independence Movement/Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, BIM/MASSOB clocks 27 years of it’s formation on Sunday, September 13, it’s leadership has enumerated some reasons why its leader and founder, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike introduced non-exodus in his quest to actualize Biafran Independence.
In a press statement signed on his behalf by the group’s National Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha as part of activities lined up for it’s 27th year anniversary ceremony, Uwazuruike disclosed that he adopted the Non-violence and Non-exodus postures right from the inception to avoid further loss of human lives and property of Ndigbo following their sad experience during the Biafra-Nigeria civil war which ended on January 12, 1970.
Uwazuruike further disclosed that before the jinx associated with Nigeria’s transition from one civilian administration to another began, a lot of MASSOB members who lived outside of Igboland were anxious as what to do before the general elections of April, 2003.
He explained that some of the members during this period under review asked; If they would relocate to the east before that general elections just as our affiliated bodies like the Biafran foundation, BF, and even Voice of Biafra international ( Vobi), Washington DC, America advised that our people residing outside Igboland should endeavor to return home before the jinx month of April 2003.
According to the statement, “contrary to their expectations, Uwazuruike who had studied the situation side by side with the MASSOB’s motto of Non-violence and Non-exodus came up with the following ideas:
‘The concept of Non-exodus is that no member of MASSOB now BİM-MASSOB, and indeed no Easterner should be encouraged to leave his base in the North or South West’ on account of fear or intimidation by the Hausa or Yoruba”.
“In formulating this principle of Non-exodus for MASSOB on September 13, 1999, absolute care was taken by Uwazuruike to ensure that Ndigbo do not loose their lives and property again due to running from one place to another during crisis in Nigeria”.
“Appropriate stock was also taken as to how our people suffered untold hardships in the hands of Hausas, Yorubas and in some cases people in Edo State and Middle Belt who took undue advantage of that crisis situation and blocked the roads against Ndigbo as they dispossessed our people of their hard earned property and money while trying to escape for their dear lives”.
‘We feel that the number of lives lost in such crisis are more than what could actually be lost if we had remained in our places of residence in the North or South West”, the statement added.
“For these reasons mentioned above, Ralph Uwazuruike therefore came up reluctantly to the conclusions that the best thing to do for Ndigbo is not to embark on wholesome Exodus each time there is crisis in the evil empire called Nigeria”.
