Buhari can’t say Biafra is ‘taboo’ when he celebrates Nigeria’s freedom from Britain- MASSOB

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has drawn a parallel between its quest for Biafra and the struggle for independence by Nigeria and other former colonies of Britain, stating that since President Muhammadu Buhari and others celebrate Nigeria’s freedom from Britain, they should also embrace the clamour for Biafra.

The group said, “If he (Buhari) says it (secession) is a taboo, but Britain allowed Nigeria and other former colonies to go. So, there is nothing wrong if Biafra gets freedom”.

It also accused Buhari of hypocrisy, citing his support for Palestinian statehood. “Secession is not an abomination; if the President thinks secession is an abomination, why then is he in support of the call that Israel should give Palestine freedom”, MASSOB said.

MASSOB’s National Director for Information, Sunday Okereafor, who disclosed this Monday, asserted that the movement would never be intimidated into backing out of the struggle for Biafra which it began 18 years ago with a pledge to non-violence.

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He lamented the tagging of its members as miscreants, maintaining that it was wrong for those seeking for a Biafran nation to be disparaged in such a way.

MASSOB further reaffirmed its position on secession, stating that it was not interested in restructuring, only complete separation from Nigeria.

Okereafor, who spoke to the Punch newspaper via telephone, also stated that, “We don’t want restructuring. There is a difference between restructuring and what we stand for; it is Biafra or nothing. MASSOB supporters and members are not miscreants. Nobody should describe us as miscreants because our style of agitation is not violence.

“If we are called miscreant, then those calling us such a name are saying Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and others who fought for the freedom of Nigeria were miscreants.

“Without Azikiwe, Awolowo and others, who fought for the freedom of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari would not have been the President of Nigeria now.

“In his recent speech, he (President Buhari) referred to us as “some elements”; but we are freedom fighters, we are not elements. We are fighting for freedom through our non-violent approach and in line with internationally recognised practice”.

 

 

 

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