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| Ralph Uwazuruike |
The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) founder, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike is no longer relevant in the new Biafra project, the group’s factional leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, said on Monday.
He denied begging Uwazuruike for forgiveness, saying there was no reason to do so.
Uwazuruike on Sunday accused the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, and Madu of destroying the new Biafra project.
According to the MASSOB founder, Kanu and others sent emissaries to beg him “for forgiveness”, but that he would forgive them, if they met his conditions for peace.
According to Uwazuruike, those begging him were earlier “sponsored by the government to discredit him and destroy the new Biafra project through their sponsored write-ups on the internet and on the pages of newspapers”.
But, Madu denied ever calling or meeting with Uwazuruike.
He said the MASSOB founder was only using the report to seek relevance, having squandered his goodwill.
Madu, whose statement was issued by the MASSOB National Director of Information, Comrade Edeson Samuel, said Uwazuruike was no longer key to the Biafra struggle.
He admitted that a pro-Biafra activist, Colman Emejuru, had initiated a peace move to unite all the pro-Biafra groups.
Madu, however, said the meeting could not hold because Uwazuruike was attending Ojukwu’s memorial service in Owerri.
He said he was surprised to read Uwazuruike’s claim that he and the others were begging him for forgiveness.
The statement reads: “Our leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, has never called, texted nor chatted with Uwazuruike directly or indirectly since 2014 when MASSOB separated from him.
“MASSOB received the headline news of The Nation that our leader is begging or appealing for forgiveness from Ralph Uwazuruike with shock.
“The executives of MASSOB under the leadership of Comrade Madu are aware that Colman Emejuru (Ikemba Ndigbo), as a selfless pro-Biafra activist, called our leader for a solidarity meeting, which was scheduled in Enugu last two weeks.
“His primary message to our leader and his executives is that he initiated a peace and harmonisation move to unite Uwazuruike, Nnamdi Kanu and Madu for the sole purpose of marching forces together to enable a quicker restoration of Biafra.
“He as well told us that Ralph Uwazuruike is aware of his meeting with us and that he, Uwazuruike, is happy for the peace and harmonisation meeting.”
He said the meeting was yet to hold.
“How can we go back and start begging to stay in Okwe working with Uwazuruike after MASSOB chased him 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 of his stepfather.
“MASSOB, under the leadership of Comrade Madu, left Okwe after we publicly forgave Ralph Uwazuruike.”
Madu challenged Uwazuruike to provide evidence of any conversation between them.
“MASSOB still has the electronic evidence of all our interactions with Coleman Emejuru.”
