This is the News Analysis Segment of the Voice of Biafra International Broadcasts.
For October 5th 2002
You have heard the news, now, the analysis…
Fellow, Biafrans: we trust that you did not find anything about Nigeria to celebrate on October 1, because, Nigeria can pretend that it is Independent, but the truth is that Biafra is under the same colonial occupation and repression today as it was 40 years ago, with the exception that today, the oppressors have doubled and tripled: the rest of Nigeria to include the British government, and General Obasanjo. We trust that our Chi shall give us something to celebrate, in the form and nature of the formalization of the Sovereign Independent Nation of Biafra.
When General Obasanjo gave his recent interview to a group of news agents living in Nigeria , he clearly showed us why there is no reason for Biafrans to celebrate with the rest of Nigeria ; he also belied his “hope” verses for Nigeria which he read during his October 1 speech. What a total disconnect between General Obasanjo and his sweet empty words!
During that interview, it was reported that General Obasanjo volunteered and read a document from his office which the Northern leaders wanted him (and other presidential candidates) to sign in 1999 prior to the elections. It is obvious that the General wanted to look good to the peoples living in Nigeria , at the expense of the North—deservedly, though. The General wanted to show us that he stood up to the bullying tactics of the North. But, experience shows that the General truly followed the command of the North; carried out some of the Western Agenda, and totally buried the East-Biafrans. He never even bothered to ask what the East wanted. But, he would never miss an opportunity to humiliate Biafrans, even when there is no provocation; he would openly incite other peoples against Biafrans.
Evidence? The North got the Ministry of Defense, which they demanded in the document that the General read. As such, did not General Danjuma, the notorious coupists who has been involved in almost all the military coups in Nigeria , become the Defense Minister? This is the person that was responsible for the murders of Ironsi and Fajuyi in 1966; the same person who presided over the murders of military officers of Biafran descent in .an ethnic cleansing operation even before the civil war.
Who dominates the Federal Police and Federal Security apparatus in Nigeria today? How bad is the situation? Did you realize that the entire Biafran region is “zoned” to the North for police matters? Can you imagine that? Recently, 16 or so new Assistant Inspectors General of Police were commissioned in Nigeria . How many came from Biafra ?
What about the Ministry of Petroleum? Consider whose land Petroleum comes from. Is it from the North? No. Is it from the West? No. Why should the North demand that Ministry? Why should even the West get it either? In a fair and equitable system where each region or nation should receive equitable and fair treatment, would not the Ministry of Petroleum be manned by the East-South-eastern Region? Did the North think so? Did Obasanjo think so? Did an Easterner get that position? No. Instead, that entire Ministry is dominated by the Northerners and their Western allies, to the utter exclusion of those beneath whose soil the oil flows from. Can there be a worse example of what Nigeria has done and is doing to Biafrans? Can there be a worse example of what General Obasanjo is still doing to Biafrans? He has the guts to tell us that he didn’t sign anything. Yipee! Look where that has left Biafrans today! To add insult to injury, the oil is piped to the North for refining: why not refine it locally where the oil is produced? To rub more salt into the injury, there is no allocation of funds to correct the ecological damage that oil drilling is causing on Biafran lands. Do you want to know more? The revenue from the oil is stolen by General Obasanjo’s minions and predecessors and military colleagues—mainly Northerners and Westerners—to enrich themselves, not to help the so-called country, Nigeria .
The Ministry of Finance: who owns it? Do you know who produces the wealth of Nigeria —who fills the coffer of Nigeria ? Is it the North? No. Is it the West? No. It is in fact the East-South-east: Biafra , what with the oil resources and taxable / dutiable entrepreneurship of Biafrans. Recently, General Obasanjo insisted on appointing his kinsman to the post of Auditor-General of Nigeria . Even the Nigerian National Assembly pointed out to him that there was an equally qualified Igbo-Biafran, and that to exhibit some measure of balance, the position should go to the Igbo-Biafran. General Obasanjo passed over the Igbo-Biafran and gave the position to his kinsman, notwithstanding the fact that the entire Finance segment of the Federal Government of Nigeria is dominated by the Westerners and a few Northerners.
While the East-Biafra produces the wealth of Nigeria , do you know who is buying up the assets of Nigeria in the so-called privatization exercise today? East-Biafrans? Of course, not! Westerners? Definitely yes. Northerners? Yes. The ironic thing about all this is that the equity—money—now being used by the Westerners and Northerners to buy up Nigerian institutions and assets was taken from the East-Biafra. The assets and institutions of Nigeria being bought up by the Westerners and Northerners were paid for by East-Biafran effort, hard work, industry, sweat and money. East-Biafra today has nothing to show for this.
Why then should Biafrans celebrate October 1st with the likes of General Obasanjo and his Northern friends now-turned-his enemies? Why then should Biafrans even assume that they belong in Nigeria after they had been forced into that “mal-union”? Not only have Obasanjo and the government of Nigeria signed a pact to relegate Igbo-Biafrans to oblivion, they also carry out the plan openly, pretending that all is well and all is right, and to add even more insult to the intelligence of Igbo-Biafrans, General Obasanjo never fails to remind us all that he is a God-fearing man, a fair and loving man as dictated by his Christian faith and that he has been anointed by God to uphold Nigeria.
Umu Biafra: General Obasanjo, representing and along with the West and the North, have entered into an agreement to divide and quarter Nigeria between themselves. They have been implementing this plan for 40 years or so. They have left nothing to East-Biafra. Worst of all, they did not even invite the East-Biafra. It is as if we do not even exist. It is as if there are no human beings there, in east-Biafra. The same General and the rest of Nigeria —North and West—can find their way down to East-Biafra and take our Oil resources. But they will not acknowledge our presence. They will not acknowledge our right to be our own Biafran Nation.
If General Obasanjo mentions his Godliness or Godsend-ness in the context of the governance of Nigeria and Biafrans do not call him and challenge him on that, Biafrans had better have proof that the God of Biafra is not the same God that Obasanjo claims to worship. If General Obasanjo claims that he is God-fearing, Biafrans have a duty to find out what kind of God Obasanjo fears—for it cannot be the same God that Biafrans relate to.
But, we reserve our harshest criticism for any and all Igbo-Biafrans who are in a position to know the foregoing, but have refused to acknowledge it. We express loathe for any and all Biafrans who understand the foregoing and who still want to drag Biafra back to Nigeria . We say, “Big Shame,” to any and all Igbo-Biafrans who for any reason condone or support those who would set out to deliberately inflict this type of damage to fellow-Igbo-Biafrans. We are quite disdainful of any and all Biafrans who have hopes of, and or plans for selfish gain from the situation and condition that Biafrans find themselves in, in Nigeria .
The time has come for all Biafrans to recognize the evil that threatens their existence, and to get away from that evil. The time has come for Biafrans to show honesty by acknowledging what Nigeria and the likes of General Obasanjo are doing to Igbo-Biafrans in Nigeria and understanding that it is immoral, a-moral, evil, criminal and unconscionable; and that for Biafrans not to react by getting away from such evil is in itself immoral, a-moral, criminal, unconscionable, and unforgivable.
We therefore now call on all Biafrans to reject Nigeria as a matter of principle, a matter of conscience, a matter of right, and as a practical matter. We therefore call on all Biafrans to regard as offensive any mechanism or act or action which purports to keep Biafra/Biafrans in Nigeria .
Nigeria has killed and is still killing Biafrans. Nigeria has exploited and is still exploiting Biafra . Nigeria has enslaved and is still enslaving Biafra . Nigeria has raped and is still raping Biafra . Nigeria has humiliated and is still humiliating Biafra . Nigeria has totally rendered Biafra inconsequential and powerless. Biafra has only one choice, and it is a clear cut choice. There is only one moral, human and Godly thing to do: Biafra Actualization.
Biafra actualization leads to the formalization of the Sovereign Independent Nation of Biafra. With that, we shall have left behind the evil that once threatened our very being.
We push today for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) where all the Nations living in Nigeria shall come together to peacefully bury Nigeria and settle its debts. SNC is a meeting of Sovereign and Independent Nations. It is a mechanism that shall ratify and recognize our goal of Biafra actualization.
To accept anything less than Sovereign and Independent Nation of Biafra is out of the question; that is not even an option.
Biafra lives.
This is the news analysis for the week. Thank you.
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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.)