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

For April 13, 2002.

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

We now bring you last week's broadcast which, owing to technical problems, was not aired. We apologize for that. At  our next scheduled broadcast, we will comment on General Obasanjo's self-succession ploy and the usual  actors-sycophants who behaved exactly the same way with Abacha. Perhaps, we can call this the "ABACHANJO SYNDROME." This sickness grips not just the so-called leaders, but also the peoples in Nigeria who are subjugated to it and who tolerate it. The only cure is, of course, the consummation of Biafra actualization, the Sovereign State of Biafra.

The News Analysis continues...

We start with the mourning of 2 Biafran university students who met their untimely death in the hands of the Nigerian Security apparatus in Igboland. As tears well up in our eyes and run down our collective cheeks, and cloud our vision, we must not forget to ask: Why is Igboland still under occupation by Northern and Western Nigerian security forces—the Police and the military? How many Igbos head or run the Police departments in Northern region, or in Western region?  If we bury our 2 brethren—only the most recent in a continuous cycle of killings of the Igbo in Nigeria—but let the system that killed them live, then we will be back digging more graves. Next time, it could be you or me, your brother or sister, parents, child or friend. We must stop one Nigeria: that is the basis of the system that places Ndigbo under political and social murderous oppression and repression. Ndigbo must get out of Nigeria if we hope to stay out of the extinction list. We must have Biafra. In the nation of Biafra, all aspects of government and society will be managed and serviced by Biafrans who will be accountable to the people of Biafra.

We understand that a group called Eko Pioneers told Ndigbo that they cannot and should not vie for elections in Lagos—or at least, not expect to win. The reason: Lagos is not in Igboland. This is actually an expression of the true sentiment of Nigerians / Nigeria when it comes to the Igbo in Nigeria. Nobody in their right minds should fault the Eko boys for speaking their mind, and not being hypocrites who pretend that all is well in one Nigeria. We should thank them for being honest and verbalizing what we know every Nigerian truly feels in his or her heart about the Igbo. For the Igbo, this is really great advice. Why don’t you get back to Biafraland, actualize, develop and build up the nation of Biafra?  That is the correct thing to do. For the Igbo, why can’t you accept the fact that you will never be allowed to fulfill your potential anywhere else in Nigeria, without being hounded or killed or repressed or dispossessed and reminded of your unwelcome presence outside Igboland? For the Igbo, isn’t it about time that you finally understood that you are the only ones that claim one Nigeria, act like one Nigerian, and try to prove that you are one Nigerian, often with mortally devastating consequences? You have to decide if this is the result of ignorance, stupidity, or another form of hypocrisy.

But, woe unto the Eko group and those of like ilk—which translates practically to the rest of Nigeria—if they should ever defend one Nigeria. May their tongues revolt against them any time they speak in favor of, or defend, one Nigeria. May their souls recoil in self-revulsion if they ever try in any way to stop or oppose Ndigbo when Ndigbo leave Nigeria. May they attract unto themselves all the consequences of hypocrisy. Yes, have your Lagos, and we shall have our Biafra, but if you ever oppose Ndigbo having Biafra, may the weight of your own hypocrisy crush you.

Another double-talking politician in the person of Akande has once again revealed to us what is very, very wrong with Nigeria. He is in the US urging those in Diaspora to take a leave of absence from their families and means of livelihood, to return to Nigeria during the planned elections of 2003, just to ensure that the elections are fair and without rigging. Hello, Akande? Is it not the same people in Diaspora who have been prevented from voting by recently passed Nigerian laws? Where were you when this law was passed? Have you forgotten that it is the Igbos that are mostly negatively impacted by this law? Now, you want them to risk everything so that they can be killed and jailed and molested as election referees? The Igbos can be stupid, but they are not that stupid.

Oh how he typifies Nigeria! On the one hand, he says he supports the idea of a Sovereign National Conference. In the next breath, he says he is for one Nigeria. He enumerates what is wrong with Nigeria, (does not take a rocket scientist) but he does not have the courage or vision to admit that one Nigeria can only keep worsening the problems that the nations and peoples of Nigeria are saddled with. He of course wants votes. What a trip! In the first place, the 2003 elections will most likely not hold, anyway.

A Northerner is organizing to “draft” General Obasanjo and elect him as the next President of Nigeria, complete with threats of making Nigeria ungovernable if General Obasanjo does not run or win. Ha Ha Ha. Who is he afraid of? Has he suddenly awoken to realize that the North cannot field any viable candidate, and the East is stirring from erstwhile political eclipse, ready to press for her turn, if indeed this is one Nigeria? What sheer desperation! The only question is this: why threaten to make Nigeria ungovernable because an Easterner has a good chance of becoming the next President of Nigeria—assuming that the elections will be held when chances are greater that that (elections) won’t happen? Why not just leave—why not Arewa nation go its own way, and Biafra nation go its own way? Why the hypocritical clinging to one Nigeria when in fact, you are willing to destroy anything and anybody who wants to legitimately benefit from Nigeria being one? It is this type of sickness of the mind and soul that demands that the different nations of Nigeria go their separate ways as the only viable and effective cure.

Moving on, an international human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, has condemned the Nigerian government for the killing in central Nigeria of over 200 unarmed civilians by the army last October, strongly condemning the Nigerian Government for first encouraging, then failing to condemn, the military action. The report also noted the acquiescing silence of Western governments, notably UK and US, who are in bed with the government of Nigeria, on this crime. When the report says the “Nigerian Government,” guess who the culprit is? It was General Obasanjo who incited his army in a well-documented speech. It was General Obasanjo who defended the action of his military. General Obasanjo should not sleep easy—he cannot be President of Nigeria forever, hiding under the diplomatic immunity blanket, nor will Western goodwill or honeymoon or acquiescence last forever. One day, General Obasanjo will be taken to an International court of law to answer for his role in this event, and the other massacres by his army under similar circumstances. There will come a day when General Obasanjo cannot leave his farm and travel overseas for fear of being subpoenaed and tried for these crimes. Perhaps, that’s why he is taking so many oversea trips now—he will not be able to, in the future.

Which brings us to this point. According to one source, General Obasanjo has taken 86 foreign trips thus far in his 3 years in office—a figure that is truly hard to believe. Assume that each trip cost an average of $50,000, (considering his entourage, we could be talking double this estimated amount), that’s $4,300,000 to $8,600,000  or over half to 1 billion Naira. What for? What single verifiable positive result have General Obasanjo’s trips had on Nigeria? What dividends? Yet, the General is quick to criticize other government officials for excessive foreign travel. And, he would criticize the Nigerian congress over budget and remuneration. Do you realize how many boreholes you could sink with just half the amount of the above squander?  Something is wrong with this picture.

Recently, Admiral Kanu told Igbo Youths Movement, according to a leading Nigerian Newspaper, that 

“…If we leave the structure [of Nigerian Government] the way it is, you can put any Igbo, Hausa, Ogoni, or Yassar Arafat as the president and we will still march back. … We need a fine federation of peoples as used to obtain in Eastern, Western and Northern Nigeria.”

Well, we don’t know what kept people so long in recognizing where the problem with Nigeria lies—one Nigeria. We don’t know how long it’s going to take them to understand that even a loose confederation or loose federation will still imperil the Nations of Nigeria. But, we will continue to mention it; we will continue to say it:

The problem with Nigeria is one Nigeria. The solution to the problem of Nigeria is the separation of Nations that make up Nigeria into their own individual sovereign and independent nations.

While we see movement by responsible and respectable and knowledgeable Nigerians and Igbos in this direction finally, we must also note that such movement is slow and timid. We also note that there are also forces fighting tooth and nail to prevent this inevitability, even though they know fully well that one Nigeria has failed—and this includes even some Igbos.

So, we will leave you with the thought and idea that the problem of Nigeria is one Nigeria. The solution is a breakup into the constituent sovereign nations. While you ponder that, Biafra Actualization continues unabated. Everyday, more Biafrans are waking up to the idea that they are Biafrans and not Nigerians, and are proud of being Biafrans. There is no going back; there is no turning back. Give us Biafra! We have Biafra!

Biafra lives!

That’s the news analysis for the 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.)