MASSOB protests, seeks Jega’s removal

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has called for the immediate sacking of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Atahiru Jega.

MASSOB, which on Friday, staged a peaceful protest in Umuahia, Abia State as well as other cities in the country accused the INEC boss of bias and partisanship  in the forthcoming polls.

The Biafran activists numbering about 1,000 assembled at a compound on Bank Road from after which they marched through major streets in Umuahia chanting pro-Biafran songs.

They passed through Government House and visited some media houses in the state capital with placards bearing different inscriptions such as “Jega must go,” “We the neighbouring state of Biafra want to help our brothers in Nigeria,” etc.

Addressing journalists later, the Leader of MASSOB in Abia Central zone, Mrs. Comfort Ogbuokiri, said their grouse against Jega was his alleged secret parley with the North to conduct the Presidential poll in favour of the All Progressive Candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), who is of Northern extraction.

MASSOB alleged that Jega had made himself a tool in the hands of Northern elements to work against the electoral fortunes of President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that he must quit and clear his name of too many accusations leveled against him.

Another MASSOB official in the zone, Chief Peter Onyema said “another person with clean records”  should be appointed to head INEC if the outcome of the forthcoming elections should be acceptable to all parties in the country.

Asked why MASSOB is meddling in Nigeria’s affairs since the group seeks self determination, Onyema said as long as they remained in Nigeria, they would not close their eyes to any form of injustice being committed in the country.

He said the protest was in compliance with the directive by MASSOB  Leader, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, who had called for Jega’s removal because of loss of public confidence.

According to him, the protest was held simultaneously by MASSOB members in every state of the country and in Diaspora, adding that they were not scared of security agents because they were non-violent.

He called on Igbos living outside Igbo land to return home before the elections to avoid becoming the targets of post election violence as witnessed in 2011.

The Biafran activists expressed strong hope that their agitation for self determination would soon be realised, adding  that their non-violence posture would be maintained.