The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has faulted the opposition of the leader of a faction of the pro-Biafra agitators, Simon Ekpa, to the efforts of the Enugu State Government to end the regular Monday sit-at-home in the state, beginning from Monday, June 5, 2023, saying such stand was not in the interest the peace and development of Enugu State and Igbo land as a whole.
MASSOB said the directive by the Enugu State Government to government offices, businesses, transporters, and schools, among others, to resume full operations was in order, as genuine pro-Biafra agitators had since jettisoned the idea of Monday sit-at-home long before now.
The organisation, according to a statement by its National Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, and the leader of IPOB, through their lawyer, had since called on Ndigbo to go about their normal businesses because they didn’t want to inflict more pain on our people.
“Even if the sit at home should last for one month or more, it is only our people and businesses that will suffer and not the federal government,” the statement reads.
“We, the members of MASSOB advised those agents working against the interest of our people and destabilisation of Igbo land to desist and give peace a chance.
“Our stand as the mother of all pro-Biafra groups remains that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu must be released for peace to be restored in Nigeria and Igbo land.
“But we do not believe that the quest for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the actualisation of the sovereign state of Biafra, both of which are our collective struggles, are synonymous with the creation of the state fear, insecurity, and waste of lives and properties, all of which are unhealthy to peace, entrepreneurship, productivity, investment, and development in our homeland.
“But we cannot allow fear, insecurity, and unproductivity to take over our region.
“Consequently, it is noteworthy that the idea of enforcing a compulsory sit at home on Mondays had since been jettisoned by all genuine agitators.
“Therefore, the position of the Enugu State Government as announced by Governor Peter Mbah, is not different from the position of MASSOB and all true lovers of the peace and development of Igbo land.
“We enjoin the people to go about their businesses on Mondays without fear of molestation, as any attempt to molest them will be fully resisted by MASSOB and other pro-Biafra agitators.
“MASSOB equally calls on Simon Ekpa and any other comrades in the struggle to desist from anything that could create panic in any form. We must give peace a chance,” the statement read.