EMMA OGU, Owerri, Jayne Uche-Ukonne, Aba and Abiodun Felix, Osogbo
BARELY 48 hours after he accused Imo State Director of State Secret Service (SSS), Mr. Alex Amechina of demanding for N5 million from him, leader of Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has been declared wanted by the SSS.
Also, following threat by MASSOB that it would not cooperate with enumerators at the forthcoming census, the National Population Commission (NPC) is expected to meet next week with representatives of the movement and other ethnic groups in the country in a bid to pacify them to cooperate with census officials.
However, Amechina who spoke at a pres conference yesterday in Owerri, Imo State capital also admitted carrying out Tuesday’s raid on Okwe, MASSOB headquarters, which involved his outfit, the police and soldiers. He had earlier denied having any hand in the raid.
The SSS boss also admitted having discussions with Chief Uwazuruike during which he said the MASSOB leader told him that he had been arrested many times in the past and also released.
Asked when and where he held the discussions with Uwazuruike, Amechina told journalists that he would not go into details now but will make them public at the appropriate time.
At the premises of the SSS in Owerri, where he briefed newsmen, the SSS boss displayed to journalists three jeeps he recovered from the premises of Chief Uwazuruike during Tuesday’s raid as well as a motorcycle outrider. One of the jeeps is a Lincoln Navigator and others number: AT 127 WER and CZ 572 LND.
He also displayed what he called a locally fabricated rocket which he said was recovered from the MASSOB leader’s premises.
Declaring the MASSOB leader wanted Amechina stated that since 1999 Chief Uwazuruike had been working for the breakup of Nigeria by calling for the secession of the South East zone and some parts of the South South, pointing out that it was his fundamental right to do so.
"The height of this criminal manipulation of the land is that Uwazuruike even went to a court in Imo State of Nigeria to challenge his fundamental human rights, the same country he is trying to break up," the SSS boss declared.
Amechina disclosed that during Tuesday’s raid also, security operatives recovered some Biafran currency and a map and arrested two suspects, one of them, Isaac Nwaosu, a former soldier with the Nigerian Army with number 79NA/24873 who was discharged as a Lance Corporal in 1996 on medical ground.
Asked whether his latest action was not prompted by Uwazuruike’s allegation of N5 million extortion, Amechina stated that the issue was not a personal matter, as he has been raiding Okwe in Onuimo local government area of the state for sometime now.
On the total amount recovered from Uwazuruike’s house since he embarked on the raid the SSS boss stated that the total amount was "forty something thousand naira" as against about seven million declared by Chief Uwazuruike.
However, the MASSOB leader in his prompt reaction to the alleged recovery of a rocket from his premises, described the action of the SSS boss as reactionary.
He stated that Amechina had before the briefing called some one and told him that he was going to display a rocket allegedly from Uwazuruike to journalists.
Uwazuruike noted that the action of the SSS boss was because of his public declaration that he )Amechina) demanded a bribe of N5 million from him.
"He is a funny man. We don’t have ordinary jack knife here. The SSS and police have been raiding my house in Okwe repeatedly since one week now. If I have rocket, do you think I will still keep it in my house? he queried while speaking with Daily Champion in an interview from his hideout yesterday.
Uwazuruike had on Monday accused the SSS boss of demanding for N5 million bribe from him, an allegation promptly debunked by the latter.
Following threat by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) than it would not cooperate with enumerators at the forthcoming census, the National Population Commission (NPC) is expected to meet next week with representatives of the body and other ethnic groups in the country in a bid to pacify them.
Also, a14-man committee has been set up by the Presidency to meet with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Afenifere and other ethnic nationality groups in the country.
Chairman, publicity committee on the NPC, Dr. Duro Famojuro, disclosed these yesterday in Osogbo, Osun State capital, while featuring on a personality interview programme, Newspoint, organised by the Correspondent’s Chapel of the Osun State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Dr. Famojuro who said the commission was disturbed by the threat of MASSOB, however, expressed optimism that the parley would be used to convince the various aggrieved ethnic groups in the country on the need to cooperate in the census exercise billed to commence nationwide in November.
According to him, "a 14-man team to be headed by me has been constituted to meet with the Biafrans and other ethnic groups across the country. We are going to embark on a nationwide tour of key important areas to talk to them and let them reason with us in order to make the forthcoming census a success."
"The threat by the group (Biafra) is posing a serious problem to us. We must be very, very careful about the issue of the Biafrans and the Presidency is aware of this problem too. That is why we are embarking on this tour," he added.
Dr. Famojuro, who is also NPC Federal Commissioner for Osun state, noted that, "just like we die with different religious group in the country during which we discussed with them, we also hope to achieve maximum result this time around."
The NPC publicity helmsman appealed to all the groups to cooperate with the commission’s officials during the visit in to resolve issues amicably. "We are appealing to them to change tune. Just like we did to the christians and muslims. We are going to employ inter-personal medium to interact with the people and we are optimistic that the whole impasse would be resolve," he said.
Last Tuesday in Enugu, at a press conference, MASSOB said it had mobilised its men and materials to ensure that the head count did not succeed in the five South-East states as well as Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States.
MASSOB’s Director of Information, Mr. Uchenna Madu, who gave the organisation’s position said the group would announce a date on which it would "count citizens of the Biafran territories." Mr. Madu advised Ndigbo to go about their normal duties on that day and resist any attempt by anybody to count them. He also tasked NPC officials trained for the exercise "to stop wasting their funds planning unnecessary ventures."
In Aba, Abia State, as members of MASSOB allegedly attacked census enumerators on Monday at Osusu Aba Commissioner representing the state at the NPC, Chief Chidi Ubani, has appealed to South-Easterners to cooperate with census officials.
Chief Ubani, who spoke with Daily Champion yesterday in Aba, said "this is because the census will go ahead even if people from this zone refused to be counted."
He however, said the implication is that whatever number counted in the zone, will be taken as the number for the people. The commissioner said his prompt report to security agents in the state has contained a repeat of the attack on enumerators in Aba.
According to him, "this is not the first time census people would be attacked in Aba as they were also attacked during the demarcation exercise in Aba North."
"This is not a very good development for people in Abia State because if they are undercounted, it will be to their own bad luck.
"We heard that those who attacked census enumerators at Osusu Aba were talking about Biafra and MASSOB. I have to appeal to our people to let what the people are saying be. "This matter of MASSOB, the matter of Biafra, has been rested as all the governors of Eastern states and Ohanaeze have said this matter should be rested and our people should all come out to be counted.
If we don’t this census will go on and we will be the ones to lose. "Whatever number that are counted here will be taken as the number for our people. I pray our people, I beg our people to please, come out and be counted in the interest of the whole South East states and in the interest of the whole of Nigeria," Chief Ubani pleaded.
quote: If we don’t this census will go on and we will be the ones to lose. "Whatever number that are counted here will be taken as the number for our people. I pray our people, I beg our people to please, come out and be counted in the interest of the whole South East states and in the interest of the whole of Nigeria," Chief Ubani pleaded.
Chief Ubani, point of correction please. No matter what the goverment counts or not, the number they will put as the number of our people will still be dreamed up by one or two persons in Abuja. They will still put any number they like. The Igbo man does not trust any counting being done by Hause oligarchy. That is why it is better to abstain from the so called count to register our protest, establish its fraudulence and not give the awusa opportunity to continue to manipulate us.
___________________ Biafra is inevitable.Illegitimis nil carborundum. Posts: 760 | From: europe | Registered: Jan 2005
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Mr. Uwazuruike is a trouble maker. He has been sounding drum of secession with nothing in place to achieve it. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Okay, he alleged that one of the ECCC guys demanded $5m from him for protection. Why not set the guy up and give him marked money so that he can be prosecuted. This man should disband MOSSOB for he is leading the youths to their early graves. He has no vision.
Posts: 288 | From: California | Registered: Jul 2003
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rick i can see and understand you to be a beast, for not knowing what UWAZULUIKE is trying to take out of peoples eyes. He is the best eye opner i ever know. You want those wild kings like yours to distroy we IGBOS. I wish you that you are now wishing us.
Posts: 8 | Registered: Jul 2005
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