[size=15pt]BOKO HARAM: No section of the country has monopoly of violence —Uwazurike
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Against the backdrop of the sustained killing of people, especially Ndigbo, in the northern part of the country, the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazurike, spoke to Saturday Sun. He also discussed the death and the burial arrangements of Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Killing of Igbo in the North
Our  position  has been made  known to the public. As matter of fact, we have taken up advertorial to make our points known. Right now, we are saddled with the responsibility of burying our leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and you know the involvement  of MASSOB in the  burial is massive. We think  that at this particular time, we will not combine  anything  with the burial  of our leader. So, it is very  unfortunate  that the massacre of Ndigbo is occurring at the time Eze Ndigbo is yet to be  buried. Our  late leader  was on the forefront of delivering our people from  bondage.

The  things   he saw then are  the things  that are happening today. All  the things he foresaw  about 40 years  ago, are happening which  many Nigerians did not see and that  also reinforced  my own activities  that what  I foresaw about 15  years  are things many Nigerians  are seeing today. I saw  then, when  it was about  30 years after the war,  that the war had not really ended.  The peace existing in Nigeria  was the peace of the graveyard.  There was  no sincerity in that peace and all the things  cumulated in  the forming of MASSOB are the things  that are prevailing today. The people didn’t  see that the time I started  MASSOB it is not a new thing to us because we  anticipated it and that  is why we form MASSOB.  It will be  new to other Nigerians  and to those  who will not be able   to see tomorrow. It is new to  them that bombs  are being   thrown  around,  but  to us, it is no news because  that was what  we saw that made us to clamour for Biafra and  that was what Ojukwu saw that made him to declare  the Republic  of  Biafra.  We   positive  thinkers, it was not new to us.

The killing of Igbos started  in 1945 in the same  Kano, 15 years  before  the independence of Nigeria. So, you can see it did not  start today  and we are  asking  for the  permanent solution and the permanent solution is for Nigeria to bifurcate (divide) and people  don’t seem to marry this word.  Nigerians   try to play cosmetic world. The only solution to the crisis in Nigeria  today is to bifurcate  Nigeria.  It has happened  in so many places. If Nigeria is not bifurcated for the different ethnic nationalities to go to their different  ways,  there will be no peace in Nigeria.

To  talk about Boko Haram,  I have nothing against  Boko Haram  and the moment   they started, I came out and I said that I supported   them.  They are saying  the same thing I am saying,  but the only  difference  is on methodology –   killing  innocent  people.  I don’t support killing  innocent people.  I don’t   do anything  that will bring  the  spillage of blood  otherwise,  we are saying the same thing. They  said that they want  Islamic state and I said we want Biafra. It is  all about  self-determination. They are Muslims and we are Christians; our cultures  are different and  they believe  that if they kill, they will go to heaven  and I don’t believe  that if I kill  I will go to  heaven. So, we have different  ideology  and concept.   Remember in India it happened – the Muslims, the Hindus and the British saw that they couldn’t co-habit. But in the  case of Nigeria  they (British ) kept  blind eyes  because of the oil. 

At  the beginning, they knew that there was no way the North and the South could co-habit, but because of the natural resources they saw in the southern Nigeria, that is oil and because of their interest and they believed that the North could assist them exploit  the  oil if they are in leadership.  Upon all the killings in Nigeria, they keep blind eyes. They don’t talk about it and they only condemn it, condemning what?  The people are killed in their hundreds, the United Nations  came up with  one sympathy condolence  message. If it was other nation, the UN will take a different position. Look at the case of Biafra, the genocide,  the UN  pretended  as if it didn’t  see anything. But if it had happened  in another part of the world, they would pick  interest.
In conclusion, what is happening  today will continue to happen unless  in this country, justice is  done and for justice  to be done in Nigeria  the different ethnic  nationalities should be separated  peaceful.

Are you calling for Sovereign National Conference (SNC)?
I don’t advocate sovereign National Conference because the  moment  you convoke it (SNC), politicians will hijack it and once they  hijack it, they will make nonsense  of it. Take, for instance, if you call for National  Conference  and you said  that Ndigbo should be  represented,  the politicians  should go there  to represent  Ndigbo, then the powers  that be will grease their palms, they will call  the leader  and promised  a plum  position and he will change  immediately and tell the whole  world that  Igbos are in  support of one Nigeria. But you  would know that  it was  because  of his selfish  interest, not for the  interest  of the majority of Ndigbo. So, when   you talk about SNC, you only tell it  to people  who  don’t understand it.  Who are the people  that will go there to represent others? It will be the same politicians we saw yesterday, they go there for their own interest. They know  that what they are saying  cannot be for the benefit of the people, but they are  saying it for their  own benefits.  Everybody knows in Nigeria today that the only solution is for the division  of Nigeria, but people  will say no, we  want one Nigeria.  They will say that they want a bigger country where they will be President, Senate President among others or closeness to the nation’s  treasury  not because of the interest of the people.
The solution to Nigeria crises is not the  convocation  of the  Sovereign National Conference. The solution is self-determination and not to discuss  whether  Nigeria  can be  one or whether  there  will be true federalism. If the  agenda  of the SNC will be  centred on self-determination, I will support it.

As a non-violent group, how would  MASSOB respond to  Boko Haram  if the killing of Ndigbo continues unabated?
No, no, the issue is, when you get to the bridge, you will cross it. We  preach non-violence, but if you are in your house and another  man comes in and takes  away your wife, you cannot  say because  you believe in peace, he should go away with your wife. We preach non-violence  to the extent that we do not  intend to attack anybody but if you attack us, at least we  have the right  to self-defence and programmes can change with time, depending on the prevailing circumstances.  If our people are killed,  we have  the right  to defend them; we have that right to provide  them with security and remember, even self-defence we have the right  also to kill in order to defend  ourselves.  If the person is coming to attack you  and you see the force he is coming  up with is strong  enough  to kill you,  you kill   him in  self-defence. In the process of defending our people, we can also kill; it all amounts to self-defence. MASSOB’s position on non-violence does not mean folding our hands  to watch  our people  being   slaughtered. No! It doesn’t amount to that.

Do  you think  that the Federal Government has done enough to protect  vulnerable Nigerians  in the North?
The Federal Government has not  done enough in providing  security  to Nigerians in the North.  I think  the situation  is above them now.  My advice to President Goodluck Jonathan now is to call a meeting  of all ethnic  nationalities and place only one  agenda before them, which is self-determination for the different ethnic  nationalities to go their different  ways. I have said it before and I will continue to say it and that is the only solution.  History will not forgive him if he doesn’t use his good offices today to bring self-determination as the final  solution to the crises because  if he doesn’t  do it, history  will never forgive  him and another person will do it. And until there is self-determination in Nigeria among the ethnic nationalities, there will be no  peace in Nigeria.

Call for Ndigbo in the north to return home, is it a solution?
Ndigbo in the North should bring back home their children and wives and they will remain there to protect their investments. There is a struggle in Nigeria and that struggle is self-determination. The  struggle for independence which Ndigbo is fighting for. There is struggle for independence  now  because we cannot suffer  what we had suffered before and the moment  the Igbos left, they will tag their houses  and investments as abandoned properties because  that is what they are looking for.  My advice  is that they should  bring back their children  and  wives  home and stay  there. Then we are watching. We know that nobody has the monopoly of  violence, but we  are keeping  quiet  for so many reasons, reasons   that border on the fact that  our leader just died and he must  be given  a benefiting burial before  we open our eyes  to what is really  happening. We are taking our time. What is  Boko Haram?  If we come out  today, Boko Haram will fizzle  out and all of them would run  away.  The danger in  it  is that all  these Hausa and Yourbas  condemning  the activities  of Boko Haram will  join hands to fight  Ndigbo. That is why we taking our time  and you must appreciate our  position. If we come out shouting nzogbu enyimba enyi, and head towards the North, all of them will run across the  Sahara desert. We can chase them away.

Any palliative measures  in place to accommodate the returnees ?
Well, I am a member of the Igbo Elders, we hold meetings in the residence of our late leader, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu. The main reason we are holding  that meeting  is that  of the crisis  in the North and how those Ndigbo returning from the North will be taken care of. We advised that Ohanaeze should open registers in different states for them to register their names. I think at the end of our meeting today, Saturday January 28, we will issue a communiqué to that effect.

Apart from self-determination you canvassed for, is there any other solution to the insurgence of Boko Haram?
My brother, there is no other solution. Take for instance, the emergence of Boko Haram. Before the 2011 Presidential election, some elements in the North said that if the power doesn’t come to them, there would be crisis and as a matter of fact one of them said that those who make peaceful change impossible would also make violent change inevitable. And after that election you see what is happening now. It is targeted at President Goodluck Jonathan. What people don’t understand is that if for any reason they disgrace Jonathan out of power, that oil they are lifting from the Niger Delta may not work again because the Niger Delta people will not allow the oil to be lifted by parasites. The only solution today is to divide Nigeria because there is no more trust. The best thing now to do is division of Nigeria and good a thing, they said they need Islamic  state. Please, for God’s  sake, give it  to them. To stop   these killings, the North   and South   have to  part ways.  Any  tribe   that wants  to stay, should be allowed  to do so.

You have been given the title of Eze Igbo Gburugburu II, thereby stepping  into the big shoes of the late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, do you   think you can fit into the shoes?
As a matter of fact, I was called  from the palace of Eze Nri to inform me that I had  a letter and I told them  I would send somebody to pick  it for me. They waited  for one week and they called me again. I sent  Ogurrish  (Chief   Rommy) to go and  pick the letter for me and he went  and stayed  for three days.  He called three days after that my letter was with   him  and I instructed him to read it and  let me  know the  content.  When he read the content to me,  I cried. Early  the following day, I went to him to pick the letter by myself because I could  not believe  it.  I feel so humbled and asking God  to handle  this position for me.  I don’t even know why these people  should  consider  me – seeing my little self  fitting  into Ojukwu’s  shoes. In fact, Ojukwu’s  shoes  are very intimidating.
One thing  about our people is, no  matter  what  they do, they  don’t  forget  those who are fighting  for them and that is what Ojukwu had always  told me. Ojukwu told me that no matter what you can say about our  people, Ndigbo,  they don’t forget  those who had suffered for them. I have never  thought of  it before or thought that Eze Nri  and his  cabinet  could consider  me for the position. It was very  strange  to me and it made me cry bitterly  because  it was unexpected  and up till  now, I feel  it is a very  big  challenge and  I  pray God  to assist me.

With your  position, how  would galvanize Ndigbo for a purposeful leadership?
Do you know  one thing, most  of Igbo elders  I always  cherished and whenever I call them on phone or go to greet them, they always referred to me, as ‘my leader’ or ‘our leader’  and sometimes I don’t  know  how to continue with the discussion  again.  I have only started in my little  way and many senior citizens  of Igboland have called  me on phone  to encourage  me.  I feel so humbled. We  are using  Ojukwu’s  house   as our  meeting point and we  will continue  to use it.  To us (Igboman) Ojukwu is not dead.  His House at Enugu is just like  a Mecca  to us and for me to succeed, I have to  continue my attachment to that  family.  And for Ndigbo to see progress, they have to attach themselves  to Ojukwu’s  house. I am canvassing  that  Ndigbo should  always  go to his graveside and  asked  God  to give us the strength to survive.  There is no way  you  can achieve   greatness  without  Ojukwu.  Ojukwu’s death must bring  the unity  of Ndigbo  because  he had  been the foremost Igboman that ever lived.  I know  that in the spirit  world  now he is fighting  for us and now that he is there our  problem will be lesser because   he is fighting  for us.  For us to achieve anything, we must  attach ourselves to him. In the past,  there was no spirit covering Ndigbo in our struggle,  but today,  Ojukwu is in that place coordinating  things for us.

Letter to letter, word to word, statement to statement, the quintessential Eze Ndigbo II Uwazurike has made my day a fantastic one.