MASSOB disowns Uwazuruike over Biafra number plate

The Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), on Friday, condemned the introduction of Biafran number plates and vehicle license unilaterally instituted by its leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, saying the action would fail.

In a press statement issued by MASSOB’s director of information, Uchenna Madu, the organisation said, “The Leadership has no mandate for it now. Where will people purchase the so-called Biafran number plates or register their vehicles for license?”

The group warned Uwazuruike “to stop making a caricature of the Biafra struggle,” just as the statement said “unplanned and inarticulate policies deface the image of MASSOB”. It said that actions of this nature make “Ndigbo to see MASSOB as a very unserious organisation”.

The group said Uwazuruike is chasing after shadows having ”betrayed, derailed and sabotaged the Biafra revolutionary struggle.”

According to MASSOB, the introduction of Biafran vehicle license is similar to past policies such as painting Biafran colours on members’ commercial motorcycles/tricycles, enforcing the use of Biafran currency, collection of tolls and levies from traders, empowerment of MASSOB members to effect arrest of citizens and trial of persons involved in civil/criminal matters that had yielded no positive result to the struggle but rather soiled the image of MASSOB and portrayed it as criminal organisation.

This is why today, the statement said, “the once highly respected and accepted MASSOB in Igboland, with the confidence and trust of Ndigbo, has suddenly become an incorrigible and inconsequential organisation because of criminal tendencies” because its actions in the past landed many members in jail and set them against law enforcement authorities.

“We can never allow our members to continue perishing foolishly and stupidly because of Uwazuruike who has no single concern for our families and general welfare,” MASSOB said.

It said Uwazuruike has completely deviated from the struggle, “dining and wining with politicians and dabbling into alliances with them when Ndigbo are languishing in poverty and want”.