Leader of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Solomon Chukwu has said that contrary to the widely held belief in the South East, the people of the Niger Delta area did not betray Ndigbo during the Nigerian Civil war.
Chukwu in an interview said: “During the war, people said the Niger Delta denied Biafra. It is not true; the major betrayers of Biafra were even from the South East than the South South bloc. People like Ojukwu’s second in command, Gen. Philip Effiong, fought for Biafra till the end. My father and many strong men of Niger Delta also fought for Biafra. I’m a Biafran from Ikwerre extraction in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“I’m a true son of Niger Delta. Forget about the role of people like Ken Saro-Wiwa, but in the mainstream of Biafra, many Niger Deltans stood to be counted. Today, they still support Biafra. Now, Asari Dokubo, Kalada George, Uche Okwukwu, among other great Niger Delta sons are in support of Biafra.
“Before now, everybody was saying Biafra is for Ndigbo and South East, but today the story has changed. The entire people of Niger Delta have realised the need to actualize Biafra. Again, with what Uwazurike has done in shifting the leadership of MASSOB to the Niger Delta, everybody has also seen that Biafra is not the business of the South East alone. People have embraced Biafra and it keeps expanding more than what they knew.”
He disclosed that MASSOB had embarked on sensitization visit to all cities in the Biafran territories where it had also opened liaison offices and commended the support of the people of Niger Delta to the struggle to actualize an independent state of Biafra.
“Today, people from all over the former Eastern region and Niger Delta now attend MASSOB meetings. Recently, we were in Warri, Delta State where the people received us with a rousing welcome. They were jubilating that this time, there will be no dichotomy again. There will be no divide and rule; that Ikwerre is not Biafra or Niger Delta is not Biafra. The former Eastern region and Niger Delta are working in unison to actualize independent Biafra.”
-Vanguard