Biafran War Veterans Decry Neglect by South-east Govs

David-Chyddy Eleke Biafran war veterans have accused the five governors of the South eastern states of abandoning them despite their efforts to protect the region during the 30-month civil war in Nigeria.

The veterans, who spoke during a flag-off ceremony of a political movement, People’s Restoration Movement (PRM), in Awka, the Anambra State capital, yesterday, called on politicians in the zone to come to their aid by rehabilitating them as they have been incapacitated since after the civil war.

Commander of the veterans in Anambra State, Major General Emmanuel Onwuegbuna (rtd), who spoke on behalf of the veterans, said it was appalling that people they fought for, including their children who ought to have considered their plight, have abandoned them on getting to power.

“We demand that all the state governors, lawmakers and other political leaders in the zone must come together to rehabilitate us.

“We fought for them to live, but instead of them to reciprocate the kind gesture by providing us with welfare packages, including medical care and shelter, they abandoned us to our fate.

“If after this event we don’t hear from them, we will mobilise our members who are alive to stop them from attaining any political positions.

“We will rather support those who can carter for our needs. We have started gathering data of our members. We will all join force with People’s Restoration Movement (PRM) to vote out any government or political party in power at any level that is against us,” he stated.

Onwuegbuna said it was rather painful that while the Nigerian Government is taking care of war veterans who fought on the federal side, those who fought on the Biafran side were abandoned.

He also blamed the Nigerian Government for reneging on its promise to reconstruct, rehabilitate and reintegrate the South eastern zone after General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) announced a ‘No victor, no vanquished’ stand in the end of the civil war.