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

For May 25, 2002

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

We predicted earlier that the year preceding election attempts in Nigeria would be non-productive because the whole governance machinery would be geared towards rigging elections, buying votes, and destroying political opponents—ideologically and physically.  We also predicted that conducting 2 sets of elections one year apart would actually mean having 2 years of non-feasance by the government. In the final analysis, it may well be that 2 years of non-performance may actually produce more benefit to the average person living in Nigeria than 2 years of misrule and poor performance.

A few weeks ago, the entire House of Representatives was closed down because almost all of the members flocked to General Obasanjo’s “coming out” announcement and party. General Obasanjo had just finished manipulating the minds of most people living in Nigeria by keeping them in suspense while advertising his on-going consultations with his god as to whether he should re-contest the elections for a second term. Of course. all the time, everybody knew that the General was in fact not ready to move on after a very unsuccessful and jinxed 3 going on 4 -year stint as the President of Nigeria—that is, everybody except for fools, and perhaps, his god. This tasteless ploy was bad enough, but to be the reason why paid so-called law-makers of the nation would leave their posts and their duties to attend to his party, and to not discourage and speak out against this action by these sycophants, is despicable. But, did we expect any better from General Obasanjo? Although we predicted this type of election year outcome, we still say, Shame! to all the so-called legislators for failing to understand what their job is, and where their priorities lie. We hold up a mirror to General Obasanjo to see for himself if he can understand what the problems are, but we will not hold our breath.

And so the news coming out of the legislative chambers is that most members are away trying to get re-elected, and leaving undone things that they should be doing. Good thing that the average person living in Nigeria does not rely on the performance of these (non)functionaries to survive: in fact, they can count on the latter’s performance to hurt their existence and make their meager livelihood more miserable. For politicians trying to get re-elected, you would think that they would go back to their constituencies? No way! A good many of them trot to Abuja because that is where the elections are being controlled and rigged; that’s where the deals are made, and the price of votes decided and settled. After all, haven’t the voters been always immaterial in Nigerian elections? They are easily silenced or sidestepped, and quite predictably and cheaply bought.

What a way to run a country! What a way to waste the human potential and squander the resources of the nations living in Nigeria!

As the elections draw near, “the usual suspects” step up to vie to rule Nigeria. Buhari is even running. Folks, there is something definitely wrong with a political structure where the likes of Buhari and Obasanjo are contesting for elections to be the President of Nigeria. These guys are part and parcel of the military coupists and dictators who misruled Nigeria. They had no vision and showed no imagination. Worst of all, they are both incompetent and unqualified to be President of anywhere or anything, even Nigeria. They will be the first to quote that this is the way of democracy; we say, if it is, then there is definitely something wrong with Nigeria’s version and interpretation of democracy. Did you expect different from Nigeria?

So, Buhari, in his wisdom, immediately declares that the push for the so-named “South-south” and “South-eastern” region to get a crack at the Presidency of Nigeria is “political gimmickry!” This is the man who would be President? Tufiakwa! This man has really no clue as to what is going wrong and what is going on in Nigeria today, does he? Next, he will probably be declaring that the issue of Resource Control is only a bedroom topic. Need we say that he is being true to his colors, and we did not make any mistake by not expecting much or better from him?

Many moons ago, we laughed at the announcement which was made with great fanfare, by Nigeria, that it would start a Space Program. While we laughed at the craziness of the idea, many Nigerian patriots were celebrating. We laughed then because we could see it was a joke: there was more money (in orders of magnitude) allocated to the National Stadium project than to this grandiose proposal. Then, we looked at the membership of the committee set up to handle the Space Program—the General President and his Vice, and a few other politicians and officials--no scientists, mind you. That was when we fell down--laughing. Today, the fact that Nigeria cannot operate a national airline and cannot maintain or sustain a viable Aviation policy vindicates our response, though the recent tragedies are no laughing matter. Nigeria has once again proven that there is no end to her bringing humiliation to her own self and to the peoples and nations living in Nigeria.

Oyo State is going Sharia, and nobody is saying anything. The last time this happened, by the time Nigerians woke up from their stupor, all the Northern States had become Shariarized. Before Nigerians knew it, General Obasanjo, who had initially dismissed Sharia as nonsense, and whose government failed to confront Sharia, was defending Sharia and taking credit for its institution, even as the world was pleading for Sufiyat’s life, the hapless Muslim woman having been convicted to death by stoning by Sharia courts earlier. But Oyo State is Western Nigeria. What the Yoruba do with Yoruba nation is of course up to them, but we want to remind all persons living in Nigeria that the march of Islamization of Nigeria is continuing, and is a serious and deliberate and well planned process. Typical of Nigerians, we can pretend that “we dey kampke.” As Biafrans, we will never allow our culture to be replaced and displaced by Islam. We are not going to hang around one-Nigeria only to be forced into Islam, or have Sharia forced on us.

And, speaking of Biafra, we want to challenge all Igbo / Biafrans out there to reflect for one moment and see if there is any other feasible alternative for their existence, for their welfare and that of their friends and family, in the faltering structure called one Nigeria. We ask all Igbo / Biafrans to look around, check out the news, assess the politics, evaluate the society as it is today in the current dispensation called one Nigeria; and then, to ask themselves, “why do we stay in one-Nigeria?” There is no hope in one Nigeria, just as there is no hope for one-Nigeria. There is only rot and death for the Igbo / Biafrans in one-Nigeria. Biafra is the only answer. Biafra is the only answer.

We remind Igbo / Biafrans that the Arewa Nation have a plan, which they are continuing to carry out. They are maintaining their Muslim / Sharia culture in spite of, and independent of one-Nigerian laws. The Yoruba Nation have a constitution separate, apart and different from the one-Nigerian so-called constitution; their culture and language is intact, and they have minimized its dilution by and in one-Nigeria. It is only Igbo politicians and so-called Igbo leaders in Nigeria today who constantly push one-Nigeria to the ignorance and continued marginalization of Igbo / Biafran culture and heritage. It is these misguided Igbos who have no agenda for Igbo / Biafra self-determinism, in the face of similar agendas by other Nations living in Nigeria, preferring instead to pretend that one-Nigeria wants the Igbo or even accepts the Igbo / Biafrans. For these misguided Igbo brethren, we say, repent! Reverse your direction—today!

We thank all members of MASSOB for keeping the flag of Biafra flying in Biafran homeland. We appreciate their courage in the face of hypocritical actions and unjustified brutality by both Nigeria and few misguided but well-placed Igbo and other persons from Biafraland. We shall never forget you. We shall never forget your family and their families. We shall never forget your friends. And, we will never forget your tormentors: we shall chase them to the ends of the earth, if need be, to bring them to the court of law for justice, when the time comes. We commend you to the hands of your Chi—our Chi, for safekeeping and for consolation and for sustenance.

Biafra lives!

That’s all the news analysis for this week.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 the "Voice of Biafra" link)