A cross-section of traders in Onitsha, Anambra State, under the aegis of Millennium Merchants and Importers Association (MMIA) have pledged their unalloyed support for the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in its ongoing struggle to actualise its much desired Biafra Republic.

The Chairman of the association, Obiora Nwankwo, who made the pledge on Monday during a visit to Biafra war disabled veterans’ camp at Okwe in Onuimo Council Area of Imo State, the headquarters of MASSOB, said they were marvelled by the magnificent edifice built for the war disabled veterans by the MASSOB leadership.

Donating an unspecified amount of money to the veterans, the traders who had shortly, on arrival, paid a courtesy call on the MASSOB leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, commended them for sacrificing their lives during the war to save Ndigbo from the bondage of the then Nigerian leaders who had subjected Ndigbo to political slavery and assured them that they would never regret their fighting for Ndigbo throughout their life time.

Receiving the traders, Uwazuruike’s second-in-command, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, told the traders that once Ndigbo unite, Biafra’s actualisation would never take long, adding that the war veterans were the injured Igbo soldiers who were abandoned to their fate by the Nigerian leaders since after the war and were stationed at Oji River Express Road begging for arms, until recently MASSOB built a camp at Okwe and relocated them.
Ezeonwuka, who noted that the missing link in Igbo unity had been found, contended that any ethnic race without leadership would never progress.

He disclosed that in May this year, a befitting traditional burial ceremonies would be performed for all the Igbo sons and daughters who died during the civil war because, according to him, the restless spirits of those dead Igbo people were going about creating confusions and instigating all the kidnappings and other violent crimes in Igboland.

He also disclosed that after the funeral ceremonies, which would be expected to calm down the aggrieved spirits of the dead Igbo people, Igbo leadership would equally grant amnesty to all the Igbo youths who were suspected to be kidnappers and violent criminals, as a part of measure to combat crime in Igboland, stressing that after the amnesty, they would move towards the dismantling of all the police roadblocks in Igboland because Ndigbo could no longer withstand the high level of police extortions on their highways.

Responding, the President of Biafra war Disabled Veterans, Lawrence Akpu, flanked by his Secretary, Festus Mba Onu and two other members present, Chukwu Usim and Gideon Njoku, commended both MASSOB and the traders for remembering them and prayed that God would help them actualise the long-awaited Biafra Republic, which he said every Igbo man was looking forward to seeing.