No fewer than 500 ex-Biafran soldiers have died of late as a result of penury arising from neglect by successive governments in the defunct Eastern Region.

The National Patron of Ex-Biafran Soldiers Association, Dr. Ramas Asuzu, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at his country home in Agukwu Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He blamed successive government in the defunct Eastern Region for abandoning such war veterans to their fate after the civil war of 1967-1970.

Asuzu maintained that the political problems the Igbo have been experiencing through the decades were attributable to the neglect of the war veterans who sacrificed their youthful age to defend the people of the area during the war. He declared that for the Igbo to come out from their political calamity in the country the souls and spirits of such people must be appeased the right way.

“Ndigbo will suffer for 200 years in Nigeria if the spirits of these veterans and others who sacrificed their lives to defend the people are not appeased,” he said.

Dr. Asuzu dismissed the state burial of Biafrian soldiers lost during the war organised months ago by the present administration in Anambra State. He said it was a good idea but done in a wrong way.

“What the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, with Chief Remy Onwuka and the rest did earlier this year and called it the burial of those who died during the war was a mockery of such great patriots. Ndigbo have a tradition on how to bury their loved ones and not that thing they did in Awka and called it funeral of our fallen heroes, they simply wasted money,” Asuzu stated.