Ideology
MASSOB agitates for a Republic of Biafra
comprising the South-East and South-South
regions of Nigeria; though Uwazuruike has stated
in interviews that the Niger Deltans "can have
their own republic."[5] The group's philosophy is
hinged on the principle of non-violence as
propagated by Mahatma Gandhi.
Activities
Hoisting of Biafran flags
At its inception, MASSOB concentrated on
organizing rallies and peaceful protests which
culminated in hoisting Biafran flags at different
locations in the South East. In recent years, this
practice has been reserved mainly for
celebrating key dates and events or in
commemoration of dead members.
Protests
MASSOB members embark on protests to protest
arrests and killings of its members. In one of
these protests, the house of the late Nigerian
leader, Nnamdi Azikiwe, was torched. The then
Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Col. Joe
Achuzie (rtd) exonerated MASSOB from blame
and accused the security agents of "carelessness
and irresponsibility."[6]
Re-introduction of the Biafran currency
In 2005, MASSOB re-introduced the old Biafran
currency into circulation. This sparked a lot of
excitement at the time especially as one Biafran
pound was said to exchange for two hundred
and seventy naira at the border communities of
Togo and the Republic of Benin.[7] In his
reaction, the then President of Nigeria, Olusegun
Obasanjo, likened the Biafran pounds to a
collector's item and attributed its high exchange
value to its relative rarity.
Introduction of the Biafran passport
MASSOB launched the Biafran passport in 2009
as part of the program to celebrate its 10th
anniversary. MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazuruike,
said the introduction of the Biafran passport was
in response to persistent demands from Biafrans
in diaspora.[8]