In commemoration of the 23rd year of the historic re-declaration of the ‘New Biafra’ at faulks road, Aba, on May 22, 2000, the protagonist of Biafra Independence Movement and Movement for the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has said, the 2023 Biafra Day celebration is in line with our non -violence principle towards the carving out of Biafra as a separate, and independent state from Nigeria.
A statement signed on his behalf by his Director of Information/ Senior Special Assistant to BIM/MASSOB on Media and Publicity, Mazi Chris Anierobi Mocha, Uwazuruike said, according to world history, ‘there was no revolutionary struggles, no matter how long it takes, has ever failed to achieve its goals and objectives.
He admitted that starting a revolution as he did 23 years ago at faulks road, Aba, Abia state was the most trying times and difficult decision anyone could take in his lifetime and he did it and carried the cross for the sake of the oppressed and marginalized people of Biafra.
Uwazuruike listed some of the activities lined up for this year anniversary celebration to include among other things; to bring to the attention of the Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organizations, UNPO, and other UN bodies to the fact that Biafra struggle for independence from Nigeria was still on course.
Recall that United Nations, UN, had in recent years accorded recognition to some nations in Europe with smaller populations, just as he tasked the world body to avoid being double standard on the issue of Biafra.
“Free Biafra from Nigeria by doing the needful according to your own laid down principles on self-determination”, Uwazuruike tasked the world body.
On why he has chosen May 22nd, every year as Biafra Day as against May 30, Uwazuruike said, what he re-declared at Aba on May 22nd, 2000 ( 23 years ago) was New Biafra.
He explained that BIM-MASSOB as the main body genuinely fighting for the emancipation struggle for independent Biafra, is not in conflict with the Biafra of the old, pointing out that every May 30 was set aside by BIM-MASSOB for football matches in memory of the fallen heroes of Biafra, he said.
He disclosed that the name New Biafra was derived from the fact that the Biafra of today is different from the Biafra of 1967.
The Biafra of 1967 according to the Biafran leader, was characterized by violence and led to loss of about 3 million lives while the New Biafra which he started on September 13, 1999, and submitted the Bill of Rights to United Nations on November 1st, 1999 was built on Non-violence and Non- exodus philosophy.
He enjoined all the members of BIM-MASSOB wherever they are found at home or in Diaspora to celebrate the 23rd anniversary in their various regional offices.
Explaining further, the MASSOB leader said, ” the former Biafra led by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was discontinued after about three years of war (1967 -1970), while the New Biafra is a continuation of the former, with new method, new concept and new ideology”.
Uwazuruike who is Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s successor, has repeatedly said that he assured Ndigbo that in order to avoid jeopardizing their huge investments outside Igbo land and loss of lives, that MASSOB had, since inception in 1999, adopted the principle of Non-violence and Non-exodus philosophy to guide the struggle.
