This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International Broadcasts.

for July 6, 2002

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

The Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is in the news again. General Obasanjo has come out in support of this process which any sensible and practical person has realized is the only hope for a reasonably peaceful means to settle the issue of Nigeria, once and for all. Predictably, the import of this subject and the sudden change of direction and mind to support SNC by General Obasanjo have failed to capture the attention or interest of most persons living in Nigeria, least of all, the politicians and the media. Would they know a countdown if they saw one?

But first, let us make sure that we are all on the same sheet.  Already, General Obasanjo has been accused of hypocrisy in this matter by a leading critique—and perhaps, justifiably so. For, was it not the General who refused to even hear about SNC in the past, preferring instead to declare that one Nigeria is God’s ordination, and he, the anointed agent of God in this? Was that not only just yesterday? Then, did not the General try another strategy? He was going to convene and preside over a meeting of traditional rulers or elders or something of the sort, a group paid by the Federal Government to be yes-men and yes-women, in lieu of a SNC. Has he now seen the light? Is he now going to be honest to himself, and in so doing, wake up other dishonest and hypocritical persons of Nigeria who love to pretend that Nigeria is really one, and yet, who do everything in their power to ensure that ethno-national litmus test is the only rule and law operative in Nigeria?

So, let’s first define SNC—Sovereign National Conference--so that everybody will understand what we are talking about. “N” in SNC stands for “National,” deriving from Nations. It does not mean the Nation of Nigeria—Nigeria is a country, forced together by the British, but she is not a Nation. “Nations” refers to the different Nations that live in the geographical area to which a boundary has been forced to form a country known as Nigeria. When large groups of peoples are made naturally unique by virtue of, and are different in, language, tradition, religion, culture and existential philosophy, these unique peoples are each her own individual and different nation, regardless of commonality of skin pigmentation. As such, “N” is for different Nations living in Nigeria.

“S” in SNC qualifies the Nations—as determined above. “S” stands for “sovereign.” Sovereign means “Independent.” Therefore, we are speaking of real, Independent Nations, not the entities erstwhile lumped and grouped together as one Nigeria, with forced loss of independence and stripped nationalities. It is not just that we are speaking of mere Nations; we really mean, “Sovereign = Independent” Nations.

“C” is for “Conference”—consultations, meeting, discussion—fully implying and necessarily demanding equal, free and fair talks. It is a meeting of equals—Independent Nations—for the purpose of discussions. What is the subject of the discussions?

The discussions among the different Independent Nations will be on how to conduct inter-national relationships between / among the independent nations, and how to share common burdens of previous debt, common property and common international obligations previously belonging to the entity Nigeria.

Do we have it now—do you have it? SNC represents a conference wherein the different independent nations currently living in Nigeria shall come together to decide on how to conduct each her own affairs and relate to each other according to International norms; and to equitably divvy up the tangible burdens of erstwhile Nigeria.

We take pains to stress these points because SNC cannot be “rigged” like typical Nigerian elections. SNC cannot be sabotaged by the usual persons and personalities whose lives are those of parasites counting on the decay that is one Nigeria for survival, those that care nothing about anybody or anything else but themselves. SNC will not be usurped by the politicians who only act to represent themselves and not their electorates, whose only interest is self-succession and not good governance.

Why? Because this is the last chance for non-chaotic and non-violent transition to the natural order of Sovereign Nationalities among the nations that live in Nigeria. Because, without SNC, Nigeria will still sink, but in scorching flames that will scald and scar everybody for a long time to come.

So, General Obasanjo better not be playing politics. We have earlier predicted that 2003 elections will not hold. If this is the result of the SNC process, then, all the better. But if, instead, it is because of a heady continuation in the currently established direction in the events and affairs of Nigeria, then nothing can prevent the imminent implosion and explosion with consequent untold misery for the peoples living in Nigeria. 

We can grant you the benefit of the doubt. Let’s suppose the elections hold. Assume General Obasanjo wins. Can you see Arewa and the North living with that, without making Nigeria ungovernable? Can you see Biafrans—-you can ignore the sycophants among them—continuing to allow their resources to be stolen and squandered by the General in the name of one Nigeria? Could even the Yorubas tolerate his proven incompetence in governance?

Let’s suppose that the elections hold as planned, and General Obasanjo loses—as he is headed for. If a Northerner wins, can you imagine how paranoid the Westerners would feel? Can you imagine how the rest of the peoples would feel, knowing that the Northern candidates all support Sharia and its expansion to the rest of Nigeria? Remember that it was these same Northern leaders that all by themselves registered Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), without even consulting or considering the interest or legitimate rights of the rest of non-Muslims living in Nigeria. Will any Biafran feel secure with another Northern ruler? Will any Biafran resource be safe from a Northern President?

In a scenario where a Biafran wins, can you see the Northerners happy to lose their unjustified usurpation of Oil resources from the South? If the Biafran does not run on and implement a SNC, could he even survive the ire and fire of fellow–Biafrans? Do you think that the Yorubas will trust a Biafran at the helm of Nigerian affairs?

Thus, General Obasanjo can choose to be remembered as the globetrotting President who squandered the resources of Biafra while traveling around the world trying to convince the world that Nigeria is a poor African Nation.  Or, he can choose to be remembered as an initially reluctant but ultimate contributor to the final rehabilitation, through peaceful separation and actuation, of the Nations of former Nigeria, thereby witnessing the power of the people in deciding for themselves how they will live with one another, instead of it having been forced upon them, and perpetuated by outside forces and misguided inside power-mongers.

Recall we have stated several times that the problem with Nigeria is structural—the forced collection of different nations into one country. SNC is a way to re-structure in peace. We have defined SNC above. We have called for SNC in the past. We support it now.

The recent getting together of the so-called South-East and South-South is a step in the right direction. We encourage you all to pick up on SNC, and see how it shall effect a peaceful separation from the oppressive, repressive, parasitic and greedy Nigeria, and usher a prosperous post SNC era of the Nation of Biafra.  We urge all persons working for the actualization of Biafra—MASSOB, Biafra Liberation Front, and all others—to support SNC. We ask you to select, nurture and educate delegates to SNC who shall represent the desires of Biafrans, since we have no confidence in the ability of the current crop of Eastern Nigerian politicians to truly represent the interests of Biafrans. We urge all of you to extend a hand of understanding to the other nations of Nigeria, in order to convince them of the wisdom and necessity of SNC, for their and our own survival as peoples, as races, as nations.

Biafra has always been the answer. Now, honesty is beginning to prevail over hypocrisy and pretense.

Biafra lives!

Thank you! Support SNC!

May God bless and keep Biafra, and you, until our next broadcast. Voice of Biafra International Broadcast continues. (http://www.biafraland.com ; follow Voice of Biafra link.)