Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The founder of the Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) chief Ralph Uwazuruike has come under a severe attack by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) over his recent claim that the group and some other agitators have derailed the Biafra project.
Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful who took a swipe on the BIM founder in a press statement he made available to Daily Sun in Owerri yesterday, alleged that Uwazuruike is only trying to malign the group for cheap attention and monetary gains.
According to the IPOB spokesperson “Christmas is coming, maybe he needs to capture the attention of his One Nigeria masters to replenish his dwindling coffers or maybe he needs money to finish yet another hotel or mansion in Owerri. Freedom fighter indeed!” Powerful said.
The IPOB spokesperson further claimed that Uwazuruike was actually discrediting the group because he has failed in the struggle to actualise Biafra.
“We must reiterate that we are not in the business of responding to every discredited money hungry attention seeker but it is imperative we remind those who are behind this calculated mischief that Uwazuruike was and still remains a calamitous failure in so far as Biafra restoration is concerned.
“We have not forgotten that he is a close friend of Al Mustapha and by extension Miyetti Allah, a Muslim convert and an avowed apologist for One Nigeria. Documents abound where he appended his signature to a commitment to work towards a better One Nigeria,” Powerful stated.
He added “To some of these shameless traitors like Uwazuruike, IPOB has become a meal ticket. Anytime these failures feel the attention of their master Abba Kyari is required to advance a personal interest, they simply resort to making wild, laughable and unsubstantiated allegations against the great IPOB in order to gain monetary favours.
“This man in particular has no shame because if he did, he won’t have the presence of mind to show his treacherous face on any media platform.
Powerful therefore advised Uwazuruike to stop disparaging IPOB and rather face his thriving busineses .
“He is not relevant because the world knows he is a money hungry traitor who have already sold his soul to the devilish Caliphate. What he needs to do is focus all his energy on his thriving real estate business in and around Owerri. His hotels, hostels and mansions is testament to his betrayal of his people.
“Uwazuruike is a fine example as to why a poor man should not be a freedom fighter; they will always put the need of their stomach before their freedom.
On the allegation by Uwazuruike that the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu and some other Biafra group has been making frantic effort to apologise to him, Powerful said “Freedom fighting by gossiping is the stock in trade of Uwazuruike and those too lazy to intellectually interrogate our deplorable situation in Nigeria.
“If by gossiping he thinks our leader will ever meet a traitor like him then he is certifiably insane.
“We cannot stop people from dreaming of meeting with our leader but that is a privilege that will never be accorded any traitor in Biafraland” powerful warned.
Similarly, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) has denied begging Uwazuruike contrary to the report by the founder of BIM that MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu and some Biafra groups have been begging him for forgiveness to unite once again.
MASSOB have denied the claim, maintaining that it’s leader has never seen the BIM leader since they parted ways in 2014.
According to a press statement by its publicity secretary, Eden Samuel who said MASSOB received the claim by Uwazuruike as shocking , however confirmed that a Biafra activists, Coleman Emejuru innitially attempted to unite the warring factions of MASOB, IPOB and Uwazuruike but was cut marred by the BIM leaders tight schedule.
“We don’t have any direct or physical meeting with Ralph Uwazuruike. Our leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu have never called, text or chat with Ralph Uwazuruike directly or through someone’s phone since 2014, MASSOB separated with him. Eden said.
Narrating the incident that led to the purported meeting between Uwazuruike, MASSOB and IPOB, Eden said “The executive officials of MASSOB under the leadership of Comrade Uchenna Madu are aware that Colman Emejuru as a selfless pro Biafra activist called our leader for a solidarity meeting which was scheduled in Enugu last two weeks ago.
“His primary massage to our leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu and his executive officials is that he personally initiated a peace and harmonisation move to unite Ralph Uwazuruike, Nnamdi Kanu and Uchenna Madu for the sole purpose of marching forces together in other to enable a quicker restoration of Biafra.
He further narrated “He as well told us that Ralph Uwazuruike is aware of his meeting with us and that he, Uwazuruike is equally happy for the peace and harmonisation meeting. The peace and harmonisation meeting was pulsed after Ralph Uwazuruike’s Ojukwu memorial lecture. The meeting have not yet reopened yet.
Eden emphasised that Uwazuruike’s claim of MASSOB begging him was false and misleading, describing Uwazuruike as a “chieftain of cunning and deceit. How can we go back and start begging to stay in Okwe working with Ralph Uwazuruike after MASSOB chased Uwazuruike out of his father’s compound for four years.
” Uwazuruike was in exile, he could not return to Okwe, his home village even during the burial his step father. MASSOB under the leadership of Comrade Uchenna Madu left Okwe on our personal decision after we have publicly forgive Ralph Uwazuruike and handed his committed atrocities to ancestors of Igbo land
“Chris Mocha, Ralph Uwazuruike’s BIM image maker is a poor information manager who could not manage his Master’s enterprise. Falsehood and deceit no longer sustain the Biafra struggle.
MASSOB has challenged challenged Uwazuruike to provide evidences of phone calls or any other direct or physical meeting between him and Madu.
“MASSOB still have the electronic evidences of all our interactions with Coleman Emejuru” Eden claimed.
When contacted, BIM director of information, Chris Mocha maintained that IPOB and MASSOB have been asking Uwazuruike for pardon
According to Mocha ” we know those who have been sending emissaries to our leader, let them continue, we would not react to this again.
“The ones they labelled a terrorist group by the federal government is there nothing they did before they were labelled, they resorted to violence but let’s continue its the same struggle “Mocha said .
Mocha claimed that Uwazuruike has given a better focus and direction to the Biafra struggle more than the new separatist groups.
“I don’t want to say anything again on this, Uwazuruike is a true leader that has moved the struggle without violence unlike some group who are called terrorists”