500 ex-Biafran soldiers die in poverty

www.odogwublog.com reports that the National Patron of  ex -Biafran soldiers Association, Dr Ramas Asuzu  has blamed successive governments in the south south and south east for the  death of no fewer than 500 Biafran soldiers.
 He said the ex-soldiers died in poverty, adding that their spirit would continue to torment the people of the area for a long time.
 He stated this when the Executive of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists , Anambra state Council paid him  a courtesy call at his country home, Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra state.
 Asuzu who said he attended the funerals of most of them  of late , lamented that  the fallen heroes were abandoned to their fate even by their people shortly after the civil war of 1967-1970.
  Asuzu maintained that the political problems of the Igbo were attributable to the neglect of such war veterans who sacrificed their youthful age to defend the people of the area during the war.
  He stressed that for the Igbo to come out from their political doldrum the spirits of such people must be appeased.
 He said “ 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.
 “What the governor of Anambra state , Willie Obiano and co did early this year and called it the burial of those who died during the war was a mockery  of funeral 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".

The Federal Government had last year announced the commencement of payment of monthly pension to soldiers of the Nigerian Army who defected to fight on the side of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970.

 According to the Federal Government those who would be entitled to the arrangement would be ex-Biafran soldiers who were soldiers of the Nigerian Army who defected to Biafra but were granted Presidential pardon by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2000.

 But Asuzu in the  press briefing described the government pronouncement as a mere paper approval.
 The Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel in the state, Mr. Emmanuel Ndukuba in his speech called on the people of the area to be more proactive in media affairs, noting that “media is power”.

By  Tony Okafor