Two pan-Igbo groups, the Concerned Igbo Association (CIA) led by Dr Nwankwo Desmond, and Combined Igbo Movement (CIM) led its National Secretary, Comrade Chukwunonso Nnaemeka, have berated the leader of Biafra Independence Movement (BIM), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, for claiming to be anointed by late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, to take his place.

The groups said that Uwazuruike was never anointed by the late patriarch but is only using his name to curry political favour.

In a statement made available to News Express in Awka on Monday, the groups claimed that politicians are sponsoring BIM, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) – also founded by Uwazuruike – and other groups to use Ojukwu’s name to gain relevance in politics of Nigeria without referencing the truth or to the family.

The statement reads in part: “It has come to the notice of Concerned Igbo Association (CIA) and Combined Igbo Movement (CIM) both home and in the Diaspora that a press statement credited to some groups in Nigeria announcing an event in honor of our famous and pronounced Igbo leader, late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu of all in old Eastern Nigeria.

“It is in our hearts and in history of Ndigbo and Nigeria in general that Late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s name remains ever green, therefore it is respectful and dishonorable for certain individuals and groups to be using his name to gain political favor by falsely claiming to have been anointed by our late leader to take his place. He never did any such thing.

“Let us make it clear, the leader of BIM, Uwazurike, was never anointed by Ezeigbo. Such claim is baseless and will not be tolerated.

“After our discussions and discovery the two groups discovered that politicians in our land are sponsoring MASSOB and other groups to use Ojukwu’s name to be relevant in politics of Nigeria without referencing the truth or to the family.”

During an emergency meeting held over the weekend in Enugu, CIA and CIM resolved that it must stand against any move from unscrupulous individuals and groups who wish to tarnish the image of Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

It vowed to work against any group and oppose its decision to hold any event with Ojukwu’s name on November 28 in Owerri as long as those groups continue to make false claims to leadership.

The statement added: “We are totally against it and must remain so until they stop using Ojukwu’s name and face their selfish interests. We cannot rule out that they are doing this event to deceive gullible Igbos to believe that they are still fighting for actualization of Biafra. We must stop any group or individual who would wish to use Ojukwu's name to score cheap political gain for themselves.

“The numerous and constant press statements cannot help or protect anybody or group when we get hold of them. Ojukwu's name must be sacred in our hearts because he sacrificed his life and wealth for us to live today.

“We are mobilizing Ndigbo to stand against any group or whoever prefer to use Ojukwu's name only for political purposes without looking inward and know what Ndigbo really need within this social and political landscape.

“Late Eze Ndigbo gburugburu, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is tilll alive in our minds therefore nobody should tamper again. We still hold late Ojukwu and his family in high esteem, no matter the odds.

“It is true that MASSOB was one of the group demanding and fighting for the actualization of Biafra but their time has come and gone and they together with BIM cannot be allowed to be constantly reducing the reputation and respect we have for Ojukwu in our life time.”

On the issue of marginalisation of Ndigbo in Nigeria, the two groups charged MASSOB, BIM and other mushroom groups who are in the habit of using the struggle to further their selfish goals by dropping Ojukwu’s name in all their kangaroo and sponsored press releases regarding Ndigbo to desist forthwith.