The Movement For the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has refused to withdraw its curse on present and former Abia State Government officials seeking to deceive the public over the state of roads in the commercial town of Aba. Rather, the group has made clear its readiness to match the government “fire for fire” if it goes ahead with its alleged plan to orchestrate a crisis in a bid to clamp down on MASSOB members.

A MASSOB spokesman who spoke with the Lagos-based Sun newspaper described Aba as a ‘forsaken’ town and said the movement has uncovered plans by state government to use commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada riders, Keke operators, security agents and other miscreants to fight them in demonstration that they did not say the truth over the state of Aba roads.

“They want to create anarchy in this state, if they do that, we will match them fire for fire. We are freedom fighters and will not allow any bad government to intimidate us in this state. If those that they have hired try to fight us, the revolution in this country will start in Abia State. If they say we are lying, then they are criminals,” MASSOB’s Director of Information, Aba Region, Chief Sunny Okorafor, said.

He dismissed the state government’s allegation that former governor of the state, Orji Uzor Kalu, is the one sponsoring them against the T. A. Orji, administration, saying: “Those who are saying that don’t know how to defend their inadequacises and non-performance.”

News Express recalls that MASSOB had recently invoked the wrath of God on Abia State Government officials who lie and deceive the public about the state of roads in Aba. The curse, which infuriated the Orji administration, was invoked by MASSOB in reaction to a live TV programme in which former Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnanyo, claimed that most roads in Aba, including Ngwa, had been rehabilitated by the state government.

But, according to Okorafor: “Which of the roads in Aba do we take for good in the real sense? Are they Ohanku, Ngwa, Ikot Ekpene, Port Harcourt or Faulks, which leads to Ariaria International Market, all of which were claimed to have been rehabilitated? Who is fooling who?

“We know that some of these officials and agents either want to remain in their posts or be re-appointed. Inasmuch as there was nothing wrong in that, it should not be achieved through barefaced lies and at the expense of the suffering masses.

“People should come to Aba and see the roads somebody went on television to tell the world they had been rehabilitated. This is mere deceit. Take Ngwa Road, for instance. That road is not only impassable, but people there are living in squalor.

“If these government officials and agents think they can go ahead telling lies and deceiving people, the wrath of God, which we have invoked, is awaiting them and there is no escape route.”

•Photo shows Abia Governor T. A. Orji.