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

For May 18, 2002

You have heard the news, now, the analysis…

We read about, and begin to comprehend the involvement of the United States in the affairs of Nigeria, in an attempt to rescue Nigeria from what is an inevitable fate, a fate which the super powers refuse to comprehend and refuse to accept. All  the money that they have poured into rescuing the Nigerian Military, where has it led to? What results can we demonstrate?

Let us paint the picture for well-meaning but truly misguided US policy. (We won't bother with the British government who have continued to demonstrate unwarranted stubbornness in the face of their obvious, initial and continuing mistakes in Nigeria and Biafra, which mistakes constitute the root and sole cause of the problems of Nigeria and Biafra.)

To the US, we say what we have always told anyone who would listen: the context that is called Nigeria--one-Nigeria--is not only not conducive to stability and or progress, but it is actually antithetical and inimical to stability and progress. Let us remind the US that the closest analogy is that it would be like trying to make progress or achieve stability in the US before Martin Luther King Jr. and the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's and 70's. Would there have been any stability or progress today in the US if African Americans were still being lynched in America today, to the delight of supportive crowds as they were then--no matter how much money was invested in the country? You will agree with us if we answer, "heck, no!"

Would there be stability in the US today, never mind progress, if blatant, overt, systemic and entrenched discrimination (even--no, especially--in the US military) against any group, most notably against African Americans, is continuing to exist? The answer, we all know, is, No! And it makes no difference how much money you poured into the system. But, these admitted conditions in the US are as child play compared to what exists in Nigeria.

You may pour all the money you like into Nigeria, only to prove a popular US saying: throwing good money after bad money is foolish. One-Nigeria has proven to be a bad thing and a bad investment. For one, all the money you spend on the military will never percolate to the common person on the streets of Nigeria, except for one dividend--if indeed dividend you call it: when the Nigerian military is used against the common peoples living in Nigeria. General Obasanjo and his military are still bragging about this habit--no shame. That's what US money is supporting.

Now, we urge the US to take another look to see who really controls the Nigerian military and other security apparatus. It is the Northern Nigerians (though General Obasanjo moved his people, the Yorubas, in the past 3 years into some controlling positions, but as you well know, his policy and Nigeria's policy and practice can be summed up by: "there is no vacancy in the leadership of these institutions for Igbos," the other of 3 major national ethnicities living in Nigeria). In case you missed it, the Northern Generals are mostly Moslems, and all support Sharia, and all support the continued skewed development of Northern Nigeria at the expense of the rest of the other nations living in Nigeria, by force (military coups) and by fiat. That's where US money is going--to the ongoing development of Northern Nigeria.

The same Generals, including Obasanjo himself, all support the continued forceful spread of Islam, trampling, running over and endangering Christians and other non-Moslems living in their own lands outside Northern Nigeria. Recently, Oyo State in Western Nigeria has been declared a Sharia State by the Muslim Sharia in that State, over and against the objections of non-Sharia citizens, and even in spite of State government opposition. Guess where US money is going? Guess what US money is supporting?

The same Generals registered Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), whose only import hits home when you realize that almost 50% of the persons living in Nigeria are non-Moslems and are not interested in being styled or classified as such--members of OIC. We are sure some of the US aid money will go towards paying membership dues, directly or indirectly.

Has the US forgotten that it is in Northern Nigeria that some Muslims burn American flags routinely? It is the same Northern Nigeria where support and sympathy for Osama bin Laden is very strong and very open. But, that's where US money is going.

The rest of the money will be stolen in broad daylight by high ranking Nigerian officials in both the military, government and civil services, along with their greedy friends. US funds will be spirited away to foreign banks under aliases (oh yes, the interest is taxable and will be paid to the US treasury when those funds are found in US banks). Some of it will go towards paying pension to retired Nigerian military officers who had and still have systematically looted the Nigerian treasury.

In spite of US money, the Nigerian Airways US-Nigeria flight was recently delayed almost a day because the Nigerian managers could not afford the cost of fuel, and had to take collections and loans from stranded passengers in New York, to fill up before the flight could take off. In spite of US money, Nigerian Embassies will stop providing services from time to time because they have not caught up with payments of their utility and phone bills. In spite of US money, the Nigerian civil service and even the military service are not paid what is due them regularly and, almost never on time. In spite of US money, Nigeria will never work; it is a sump, draining life and hope from all the inhabitants, using few "advantaged" unscrupulous fellows who are densely ignorant about running a hamlet, never mind a village, not to speak of the clumsy behemoth herself, Nigeria.

Yet, Nigeria makes generous gestures: building an expensive Stadium; donating to parochial political causes and celebrity launchings. Nigerian officials continue to buy up prized real estate even in foreign countries. At home, in some of the Northern States, limousines are purchased for Emirs with State money (read: money from Oil revenues). And, hang around: as the elections draw near, see how much money they will spend buying votes, rigging elections, and destroying their opponents; and paying for the killing of those they cannot buy. Part of US money is in there. That's what US money and aid is buying in and for Nigeria.

Nigeria cannot even produce enough food to feed its impoverished population: do you know what "garri" is? It is to Nigeria what pasta is to Italy. Do you realize that Nigeria now imports even this staple item, although there is land and resources to be self-sufficient? You could ignore the fact that Nigeria imports oil and oil products, although a major exporter of Oil belonging to the South. How much money is the US willing to give to support this structure?

We point out these sentinel facts. Sentinels are little indicators of major problems--we are sure that the US understands this concept. Why is the US still willing to spend money to prop up a moribund structure?

Would the US like our advise? We shall state it here. Allow Nigeria to die a natural death, which it will, in due course, anyway, in spite of the US. Support and prepare for a National Sovereign conference where different Nations of Nigeria can decide how to relate to one another. Then, after that, if the US wants to help any of those nations, that will be up to them, and the money will be better spent.

How capable and able is one of these nations--Biafra? Here is what happened in Biafra in her first 3 years of existence (before what we now realize is a temporary eclipse that shall not last much longer), in the words of no other than Odumegwu Ojukwu in "the lecture delivered on the occasion of STM's [The Sunday Mornings'] 2nd Diamond Lecture to mark the fourth anniversary of the magazine on February 22, 1994.":

"...The war has come and gone but we remember with pride and hope the three heady years when we had the opportunity to demonstrate what Nigeria could have been even before 1970. In the three years of war, necessity gave birth to invention. During those three years, in one heroic bound, we leapt across the great chasm that separates knowledge from know-how. We built bombs, we built rockets, we designed and built our own delivery systems. We guided our rockets, we guided them far, we guided them accurately. For three years blockaded without hope of imports, we maintained engines, machines and technical equipment. We maintained all our vehicles. The state extracted and refined petrol, individuals refined petrol in their back gardens. We built and maintained our airports, maintained them under heavy bombardment. Despite the heavy bombardment, we recovered so quickly after each raid that we were able to maintain the record for the busiest Airport on the continent of Africa. We spoke to the world....[and the world] spoke back to us. We built armoured cars and tanks. We modified aircraft from trainer to fighters, from passenger aircraft to bombers. In three years of freedom we had broken the technological barriers. In three years we became the most civilised, the most technologically advanced black people on earth. We spun nylon yarn, we developed seeds for food and medicines. At the end of the war this pocket of Nigerian civilisation was systematically destroyed, dismantled, scattered. What a great pity - this was a beginning of a truly Black risorgimento. The men who achieved this breakthrough - where are they?..."

Now, to the US, if you are truly looking for the bright star of Africa, it is Biafra. If you are interested in the success of Africa, you will have to support Biafra. But, you need to abandon your efforts at the shoring up of a decadent, faltering, tottering moribund structure called one-Nigeria, an entity which has foresworn to destroy Biafra with its last gasp and last throes. When the US stops supporting one-Nigeria, this helps ensure that Biafra can emerge without another bout of bloodshed. This also ensures that the other nations in Nigeria can separate out clean and ready to pursue their destinies, not pursue one another with the intent of harm.

To the US: you can spend your money--if you still want to--wisely perhaps by establishing a Trust Fund for Northern Nigeria to allay their anxiety and financial insecurity since their main interest in hanging on to one-Nigeria is the Oil revenue. Given proven Biafran ingenuity, the oil resources are not that important to us Biafrans.

If it is the protection of Oil supplies for the benefit of the US that motivates your current spending in Nigeria, you know quite well that the Oil does not belong to the North, who, so far, have kept the lion share of the revenues, with little or nothing allocated to those from whose backyard and compound the oil is drilled. We are certain that the US will continue to be the true Oil owners' best and priority customer when the Oil fields are returned to their rightful owners. Supporting the usurpers could only end up in the US defending the usurpers against the hapless owners--something the US public will find really difficult to accept or tolerate because it is so morally wrong and so anti-American.

Biafra actualization continues. We are confident that this time around, the US will eventually be on the right side of history and humanity. Because, black Africa does indeed have a rising sun which must rise and reach zenith. It is Biafra's destiny to occupy this niche!

Biafra lives!

That’s all the news analysis for this week.

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God bless and keep Biafra and you, until next week. VOBI broadcast continues. (Audio version part of weekly VOBI broadcast posted on Biafraland website, www.biafraland.com; follow Voice of Biafra link.)