– 15 Igbo billionaires support bid
Many years after his death, the sacrifice he made for his people in their trying moment continues to ring bell among his people and open path for his immediate family.
In fact, the identity of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu to the Igbo people, has propelled the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, to endorse his widow, Bianca’s bid to contest the Anambra South Senatorial election in 2019.
Ojukwu led the Igbo people and the country’s entire Eastern Region during Nigeria’s bloodiest, most devastating and only civil war between 1967 and 1970, a most unfortunate incident which claimed millions of lives of Nigerians. It left many others crippled, homeless and impoverished for life.
Leader of MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, made the endorsement on Sunday in Owerri, Imo State capital, when Bianca and Dr Godwin Maduka, billionaire US-based Nigerian surgeon, visited the Ojukwu Memorial Library.
He said that he supports Bianca because her late husband meant everything to the identity of the Igbo people and was his bosom friend and mentor, who struggled for the emancipation of Ndigbo.
Uwazuruike, who also doubles as the leader of Biafra Independence Movement, said that though he is not from Anambra Senatorial District, he would deplore tools available to him to ensure Bianca emerges victorious.
“Bianca already has the backing of more than 15 Igbo billionaires for her 2019 senatorial project, and I make bold to say that she has my full support and we call on Anambra people to look back on our history and support her,’’ Uwazuruike appealed.
Mrs Ojukwu had recently declared to vie for the senatorial seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a party which her late husband founded in 2003.
She had told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that she commended Uwazuruike’s zeal and interest in engraving the name of her husband and Ndigbo in the sands of time.
“When Uwazuruike started this Ojukwu Memorial Library project after the death of my husband, it was like a bourgeois dream, but the project today is almost completed,’’ she said.
Although Bianca said that her visit to the project site had no significance to her political ambition, she however, described her visit as “home coming”.
The Ojukwu Memorial Library complex has 2,000 capacity auditorium and E-library which on completion would serve as meeting place for discussion on Igbo historical heritage and issues affecting them.
Also, Maduka, who described the auditorium as “magnificent”, expressed delight on the thoughtfulness of Uwazuruike on the library and conference centre.
“I am indeed happy to see this kind of magnificent structure that could be likened to aesthetic buildings in the Netherlands, I will certainly identify with the initiator of this project in seeing to its completion.
I must add that doing this is to demonstrate that I am a core Igbo man and I feel any privileged son or daughter of Igbo nation should show interest in this project that represents our history and unity,’’ he said.
Maduka, the Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Las Vegas Pain Institute and Medical Centre, Nevada, U.S. criticised what he called the continued marginalisation of a section of the country in favour of others.
He said that the beauty of Nigeria Is the unity of all segments, and urged the leaders to kick against tribalism and nepotism to take the country to the next level.
NMaduka, who recently commenced construction of a police academy at his Umuchukwu country home had completed a 16-storey skyscraper Medical Research Centre at Umuchukwu community in Orumba South Local Government, Anambra State.
He equally built and handed over a High Court and Magistrates’ Court complex. Besides, he is involved in many developmental projects in a bid to turn his obscure community to a centre of medical destination in Nigeria and entire African continent.
NAN
