02/27/2003
Onitsha - Five members of the movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) who were being detained by the police in Anambra State for conspiracy and treasonable felony were yesterday granted bail by an Ogidi Chief Magistrate Court presided over by Justice V.C Ezekwe.02/10/2003
The News (Lagos) opinion Lagos - As Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declares his presidential ambition, he kicks awake the ghost of Biafra. Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu bears a jaw-twisting title, bigger than Ikemba Nnewi. He is now popularly referred to as the Eze Ndigbo Gburugburu. As characteristic of Igbo names and titles that are symbolic, this means that the former Biafran leader is now the "head of all Igbo everywhere." Last month, however, Ojuwku made an effort to be accepted outside his Igbo enclave by declaring his ambition to become the head of all Nigerians everywhere In Abuja on 10 January 2003, the All Progressive's Grand Alliance, APGA, announced Ojukwu as its consensus presidential candidate. That day, Ojukwu was in his elements, addressing his party men the way a sergeant major would, a set of rookies: "Nigeria started off on a wrong footing," Ojukwu began, as he cleaned drops of sweat off his hairy brow. "The federal system which Nigeria inherited was lopsided and it is this that we have been struggling against from the moment of independence until today," he paused to allow the yelling crowd at the Old Parade Ground Garki, Abuja, to calm down. He continued that his party should look again into the Nigerian structure and the various areas that are found wanting, so that the country could go forward. "We will get there, there is no doubt about that but my aim is not to rule Nigeria, but to head Nigeria", Ojukwu maintained.
