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

For March 16, 2002.

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

As the Nigerian electioneering process heats up, we begin to see the predictable patterns typical of Nigerian politics and society. The first thing to notice is the recycling of previously failed politicians, as if there was a dearth of new potential. There is also the recycling of previously failed military usurpers, as if there is complete amnesia of how bad they ruined Nigeria. How can any sane human being stand this process? Only totally depraved and deprived and totally beaten people can tolerate and accommodate this type of process. This speaks volumes of the peoples living in Nigeria.

Second and even more important, we notice that the true color of the peoples living in Nigeria begin to show, especially when it comes to the Presidential election. Until now, when one speaks of the inequities and injustices prevalent in Nigeria, distributed mainly along ethno-national lines, with the Igbo-Biafrans most severely disadvantaged and cheated, one is called a “tribalist” or is accused of trying to break up one Nigeria. But today, listen to the true voices of the peoples, to the true feelings of the peoples, and hear the real sentiments expressed. All these speak of strong ethno-national allegiance and little or nothing of so-called one Nigeria. The abject hypocrisy—peoples willing to kill for one Nigeria yet solely interested only in their own ethno-national development at the expense of other nations in Nigeria—is so painful as to elicit tears and make a grown man or woman cry.

Thus, we read news of the West uniting so as to re-elect General Obasanjo as the next President of Nigeria for no other reason than that they want a Yoruba man to be the next President of Nigeria—and they make this quite clear. And of this, those Yoruba making the effort are not ashamed or concerned that General Obasanjo’s government is just about the worst in the tumultuous history of Nigeria—military or civilian. They realize that General Obasanjo’s leadership is so bad that even the Yoruba are part of the unanimity of opinion that Nigeria has suffered and lost ground under General Obasanjo. But, this does not faze them, for it is not what is good for Nigeria that is important, but what is good for the Yoruba, as far as the Yoruba are concerned. So we ask, why insist on one Nigeria—why not just have your own nation of Oduduwa where what is good for only the Yoruba will be the rightful focus?

Up North, we hear that they are getting restive. The Hausa-Fulani are the most vehement in demanding one Nigeria. But, hear what they are clamoring for: they want the power to shift back to the North—whatever that means—that is, they want the next President of Nigeria to come from the North. Not just any Northerner, but it has to be a full-blooded Hausa-Fulani. How will this benefit Nigeria? The only people that will benefit from this arrangement are the Northerners, specifically, the Hausa-Fulani. In fact, their leaders today go so far as stating publicly that no Northerner should vote for a non-Muslim. Consider that Nigeria has never fared well under Northern rule—starting from the first Republic which ended up being sacked in an at least initially publicly welcome military coup. Consider that the successive coupists and their governments, except for the brief rule of Ironsi, were all Northerners who only succeeded in raping, mismanaging, wrecking and impoverishing Nigeria and registering Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference. Consider that all that the North really wants now is to make the whole of Nigeria a Sharia country—great for Muslims and the Hausa-Fulani, but disaster and death for the rest of the peoples living in Nigeria. So again we ask: why not your own Arewa nation where you can practice your Sharia to your heart’s delight, and have pure-blooded Hausa-Fulani rule your nation? Why then insist on one Nigeria?

Everybody living in Nigeria must ask himself or herself: why this hypocrisy? Why the pretense? Who are we trying to deceive, and for how long? There is no “one Nigeria”; all there really is, is ethno-nationalism, with one nation usurping powers to dominate other nations of Nigeria under the umbrella of “one Nigeria.” All there is, is talk of “one Nigeria,” while the prevalent practice is ethno-nationalism. How many generations will be destroyed in the false crucible of “one Nigeria?” When are we going to tell ourselves and our children and their children the truth that we will always prefer and favor our own than any other nationals? Little wonder Nigeria continues to totter as well as suffer: it is built and maintained on a fundamental lie, a hideous hypocrisy.

Down in the East, at last, the Igbo stupor is finally over, as we read that Ojukwu has declared his plans to run for the Presidency of Nigeria. Soon, all the Igbo-Biafrans will galvanize around him. Even though no other nation in Nigeria has believed in and acted like one Nigeria more than the Igbo, the Igbo nevertheless have constantly been victimized and treated like second-class citizens in Nigeria. It is this mistreatment and constant murderous harassment by the rest of Nigeria, but especially and particularly by the Northerners, that has spawned the fact of Biafra and kept the idea and the spirit of Biafra in flourish all this time. The desire of the Igbo-Biafrans to have their own independent nation has never been in question. The rest of Nigeria knows this very well and have done everything in their power up, to now, to deny, suppress, repress, and destroy any slightest opportunity or chance of the Igbo-Biafrans actualizing their desire of the nation of Biafra. But the Nigerians always had the fear that they would fail, and now, Ojukwu’s declared candidacy is going to prove their fear real and fulfill their failure.

What will appear to Nigeria and the world as Ojukwu’s Nigerian Presidential candidacy (and this will prove prophetic) is actually a checkmate to Nigeria. There is no other Biafran more associated with Biafra than Ojukwu. Ojukwu’s campaign is Biafra campaigning. Ojukwu’s visibility is Biafra’s visibility. If Nigerians reject Ojukwu’s candidacy, they fulfill the condition for the secession and actualization of Biafra, for no thinking Igbo-Biafran would vote for another candidate or allow another candidate to rule over Igbo-Biafra any more. If, on the other hand, the Nigerians accept Ojukwu’s candidacy and he becomes President of Nigeria, Biafrans will demand and get a Sovereign National Conference and/or a Referendum, and then proceed to secede from Nigeria.

In case anybody has any doubts about Ojukwu’s mission, let him or her (re-)read the Ahiara Declaration. (A search on the Internet will deliver the document.) You will get goose bumps when you realize that what Ojukwu talked about 33 years ago in the Ahiara Declaration is just as true today as it was then: it is as if time has stood still for 33 years. You will also realize that today is the fullness of time and all this will come to pass right now. Biafra is the consummation of Ahiara Declaration principles. Ojukwu—messenger, leader, ideator, convener, or whatever—has come to be identified with the Ahiara Declaration: he is locked into its fulfillment and implementation cycle and plans, otherwise known as Biafra actualization.

Ojukwu’s candidacy is not really about Nigeria: it is all about the actualization of Biafra.

In other news, we read once again that the Nigerian Police and security apparatus is going to try to clamp down on organizations and groups which it claims are destabilizing Nigeria. Once again we see what finally we must call stupidity, because that is exactly what it is. Consider this, once again. The Igbos are singled out and killed by the thousands in Northern Nigeria, by Northerners who also destroy the property and possessions of the Igbo. It is not a secret operation: it is being done in broad daylight; and the perpetrators have not apologized or shown any remorse. The Nigerian Police and Security agents have never arrested and convicted anybody and punished them for these crimes. The Nigerian government deliberately failed to offer protection to the Igbos. So the Igbos form MASSOB, a peaceful organization, and now, the Nigerian government and their security apparatus are claiming that MASSOB is destabilizing Nigeria? For a shame!

For their part, even the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Military are responding appropriately when they refuse to serve the Nigerian government which has failed to pay them—not because the money is not available, but because high ranking officials kept the money to themselves, as part of “usual and customary” acceptable corrupt practice in Nigeria. Herein lies the stupidity: so, instead of the Nigerian government accounting for the missing payroll and apologizing to, and paying these unpaid workers, and then moving to deal with the corrupt leader-criminals, it labels the victimized “destabilizers” of Nigeria. It goes after the victims, while those who stole the money are left alone to even prosecute, persecute and flagellate the hapless victims! What a farce. We hope that when the Nigerian government sends out these victims to hound other victims of Nigeria and the Nigerian government (such as MASSOB), these victims will understand and empathize and sympathize with the latter. We hope that the rank and file of the Nigerian Police and the Military will by now understand why finally one or a group of people would wake up one day and try to rise above the crushing burden imposed by Nigeria, and try to survive the mistreatment deliberately meted to them by Nigeria.

Thus, we trust that Biafra actualization will be seen for what it is: sheer survival; an absolute necessity. We know it is. That is why it shall be done. Biafra!

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, http://www.biafraland.com : follow Voice of Biafra link.)