Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), yesterday, vowed to resist the proposed toll gates on federal roads.
MASSOB said with the number of toll gates planned to be mounted by the Federal Government in the South East, it was obvious the policy was a wicked plot against Igbo.
MASSOB Leader, Uchenna Madu, in a statement said the group would dismantle any tollgate built in Igbo land.
Madu said available data indicated that the six states of South-South will have 21 toll gates; South-West with six states will have 22 toll gates; five states of the South-East 56 totaling 99 toll gates from the 17 southern states.
The seven states of North- West will have 12 toll gates; nine toll gates in six states of North-East; while six states of North Central will mount 14 toll gates totaling 35 toll points from 19 northern states.
“MASSOB observes that South-East with only five states have 56 tollgates, which is more than the entire 19 states of the Northern region with 35 tollgates. Even the Northern region that claim to have the highest population, yet, it will pay the lowest tollgate.
Igbo states are higher with 21 tollgates and this is in conformity that Igbo land is under siege and exploitation,” said Madu.
“South-East has more Police checkpoints than any other region; has the greatest number of dilapidated federal roads; has the smallest land mass and the shortest distances from one point to the other when compared with other zones, and also has the worst road network in Nigeria.”
MASSOB said tollgates should be proportionate to reflect mileages of federal roads in the zones.
“Igbo land and Biafra can never be an experimental ground for exhibition of wickedness, malice, hatred, genocides, police extra judicial killings, military terrorism, political subjections and unprovoked massacre of innocent and armless citizens.
“MASSOB condemn and insists that there will be no toll gates in Biafra land as wickedly proposed by the Nigeria government. MASSOB wonders how establishment of these toll gates in Nigeria will ever work,” said Madu.