Ohanaeze has no control over MASSOB, can’t stop movement -Ogene

Ohanaeze has no control over MASSOB, can’t stop movement -Ogene

By Our Reporter  on November 2, 2015
…Urges FG to negotiate with group
From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
NATIONAL Treasurer of Ohaneze Ndig­bo, Chief Damian Okeke Ogene has said, as a socio cultural organisation, the Fed­eral Government has no control over the members of the Movement for the Actuali­sation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MAS­SOB). He added that government has no power to stop the movement.
Ogene noted that the movement could even sweep out the Ohaneze Ndigbo, urg­ing the Federal Government to negotiate with MASSOB members to solve their agitations.
The Ohaneze chieftain, who spoke to Daily Sun yesterday, said South East geo­political zone had been neglected over the years in the areas of appointment, judiciary and infrastructure development, which he said, led to the agitation by the boys.
“Ohaneze is a social cultural organisa­tion and MASSOB is a movement, they are two different bodies. Ohaneze has no control over MASSOB. The arrest of Di­rector of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu was wrong because he has every right to air his view, the right of speech.
“The Niger Delta went into militancy against Nigeria and the elders of Niger Delta never said they sponsored militants or never said they are against it but when the chips were down, when the Federal Government wanted to negotiate with the militants, the same elders talk­ed to their children and they re­sponded. Has the Federal Gov­ernment in any way called for dialogue with these MASSOB young men?.
“The Federal Government said they were ready to dia­logue with Boko Haram and they are militants and terror­ists. What is wrong with civil agitators, people think MAS­SOB is Igbo affair, it has gone international because it is a movement. The Federal Gov­ernment must be very careful; they should call these MAS­SOB boys to ask them what the problem is and how to solve it,” Ogene stated.