This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts  

For February 15, 2003  

You have heard the news, now, the analysis…  

Fellow Biafrans:  

We start this session by warning you that you cannot afford to be "neutral" at this moment in time, at this phase of our struggle, because the opportunity presenting itself to us is too great to miss. While many may look at the current situation and react in a predictable manner of hopelessness and acquiescence, a few have recognized the great potential and recognized the door being shown to us through which we must pass to get to our goal of Biafra Actualization. We shall make sure that we show you the same door that has been revealed by the opportunity, and on your part, you need to follow us through it.  

What is the opportunity? It is the election process in which the peoples living in Nigeria are participating now, which conveys the opportunity. We have witnessed how the conduct of the process thus far has caused a lot of humiliation for Igbo-Biafrans; has continued to prove the marginalization of Igbo-Biafrans and has made Igbo-Biafrans the joke of the region, a laughing stock for the Western and Northern Nigerians. Because of our indignation in response to this treatment, we decided to band together, to come together in unity and solidarity as one nation and people of Biafra . That's an opportunity and we took advantage of it.  

But, that's not all. We are united and are in solidarity. When there is no pressing reason to demonstrate it, the power of such unity and solidarity is not used or felt. Luckily, the elections have also provided us with the opportunity to exercise our new found clout and power conferred on us by virtue of our unity and solidarity; we exercise this power and show our clout by casting our votes as a block for APGA and Ojukwu, and by giving them our full support. We do this, and the rest of Nigeria is no longer laughing at us. We do this, and they shall never take us for granted any longer. We do this, and we teach them a lesson: never discount the Igbo-Biafran any more.  

Fellow Biafrans: once we are united and are in solidarity, is there anything that we cannot do as a Nation and people of Biafra ? For one, we shall rescue Biafrans from Nigeria , and from Nigeria 's errand boys and girls masquerading as Igbo-Biafran "leaders." We shall return Biafra to the control of the people of Biafra , who will elect leaders that shall serve the people, not rule or misrule the people. Then, we shall force a Sovereign National Conference, where we, standing together in unity and solidarity, shall push Biafra as a non-negotiable agenda, while recognizing the rights of other nations to push for their own sovereign Nations.  

With our unity and solidarity still intact, and with Biafra declared and promulgated following the Sovereign National Conference, we can proceed to the task of Biafra nation-building. Can you see how rich the opportunity offered by the election process is? Mind you, we are not interested in the elections per se. All we see is the opportunity presented by the election process to first unite and be in solidarity as the nation of Biafra , following which we become truly unstoppable on our way to Biafra actualization and Biafra nation-building.  

Realizing the above, why would any Igbo-Biafran be "neutral" toward the election process? Only if they couldn't see the opportunity pointed out above before; now, they can. Consider the alternative. If you do not vote for APGA/Ojukwu or do not support them, then, you have conceded defeat and allowed Obasanjo or Buhari to win without challenge. If Buhari wins, all Igbo-Biafrans and pro-Biafran organizations are in grave danger. He will kill and jail MASSOB members and BLM members and others. Buhari will definitely make sure that Sharia is implemented and forced on everybody living in Nigeria . Of course, since he has no education in governance nor is he qualified in any way for that, he will continue to ruin the lives of all persons living in Nigeria , but worst of all, the lives of all Igbo-Biafrans.  

If Obasanjo wins because of your "neutrality" then, why should you expect any better from him than he has performed so far? In fact, we predict that he, too, will destroy all pro-Biafran organizations; and since the PDP governors would be around in this scenario, then the enslavement of our people will be total; then we are finally finished as a Nation and people of Biafra .  

lf you are thinking, "well, a stalemate will result if either Obasanjo or Buhari is returned as winner" and you are remaining neutral or aloof at this point, you are right about one thing: a stalemate is quite likely. But consider this: the Yoruba vote as a block for Obasanjo; the North vote as a block for Buhari; and the East, with this neutrality attitude, do not vote as a block, with their loyalty divided or votes not cast at all. When the stalemate occurs, guess who will be the victim? Is it going to be the West? No, because they are a united front against any opponents or enemies. Is it going to be the North? No they, too, are united, how are you going to victimize them? Now, you get my point?  

It is the East that is going to bear the brunt of a stalemate in this scenario. By the way, why would the West fight the North in this scenario when the stalemate happens? The West does not have anything that the North really wants; the North has nothing to offer the West either. Both believe in one Nigeria for the same reason--exploitation of Biafran resources. So, if there is a stalemate, you guessed it--they will both come after Biafra and Biafran oil wealth; with an additional motive for the North being access to the ocean!  

In any case, since Obasanjo has changed the composition of the military in. favor of the West, and although the North still has a lot of influence and power there, it is once again the East that has been short-changed.  So on the day of reckoning, in this stalemate scenario, the West has unity and the military; the North has unity and the military, but the East has no unity, no military, only that the East has the much coveted oil wealth/resources. Is this not like a curse for the East? You have what your opponents /enemies covet and they have the military might and the unity of purpose to go after what you have. But, you are weak militarily, and you are in disarray. Now, tell me, why should they not come after you in the event of a stalemate and how could you stop them?  

Our people: how else can we get this point across? The current electoral process has thus far given us a great reason and great opportunity to become united and in solidarity as a people, and to express that unity in the electoral process not so much for the election itself, but to demonstrate our power, and to surprise and shock our enemies, then, proceed to our destination of Biafra . Such unity and solidarity will also protect us as a nation and people of Biafra during the predictable chaos or stalemate which is going to be bloody. Therefore, you cannot be neutral. You must participate and do the right thing--join our unity and solidarity movement and vote for APGA and Ojukwu  You shall not do the wrong thing which is to vote for the enemies, because not only do they not need your vote (they have their kinsfolk voting and rigging the elections for them already), but also because when you vote for them, you are detracting from, and threatening, the protection of our people, which protection depends on our acting and living and expressing as a united people of Biafra in solidarity, voting for and supporting APGA and Ojukwu.  

Fellow Biafrans: we really have nothing in common with the rest of Nigeria . Their sustained interest in exploiting our natural resources and in subjugating and marginalizing us at the same time makes it impossible to have a meaningful association with them as one country. And in case you missed it, bin Laden/al Qaeda has recognized Nigeria as a Muslim country where any non-Muslim leaders must be stooges of the US ; and such a government led by non-Muslims should be overthrown by Muslins, according to bin Laden! Why don’t we save them the trouble and the bloodshed: the Hausa/Fulani Muslims can have their own country; the West should have their own country, too; and they can leave us Biafrans alone in our own country?  

If you are still thinking of being neutral, or if you are planning on voting for any other party or presidential candidate, let us re-paint this picture for you. Now that bin Laden has instructed Nigerians to overthrow the government of Nigeria as a Muslim duty, it makes it easier for us to make the point. If you vote ANPP / Buhari, then, you agree with bin Laden that Nigeria is truly a Muslim country, which should be run as a Taliban-Sharia institution by a Muslim. Buhari has already promised to Shariarize the entire Nigeria ; he had earlier also advised Muslims to not vote for non-Muslims. If you vote for PDP / Obasanjo, then, you get the same structure called one Nigeria , a Muslim country, and although Obasanjo will not stop or oppose Sharia, the Muslims are under instructions by bin Laden to overthrow such a government. If you think the Muslims will not do that, remember how upset they were with Obasanjo for announcing that Nigeria sympathizes with the US regarding 9/11? Remember that they were celebrating this heinous terrorism while all decent humanity mourned? Remember that following that, many of the babies born to Northern Muslims were named after Osama bin Laden? Remember where they burn American flags routinely in Nigeria ?  And, should you forget all that, how could you not recall that Igbo-Biafrans living in the North were brutally murdered, and their property razed and destroyed because of US attack on bin Laden forces—not in Nigeria or Africa, but—in Afghanistan?  

Fellow Biafrans: we are taking our own destiny in our own hands instead of trusting our fate by design or by default or in ignorance in the hands of bin Laden’s people and friends, or in the hands of the arch-Igbo-Biafran hater, Obasanjo and his cabal. We are taking charge of our fate by being in unity and solidarity and going out to fully support and vote for APGA and Ojukwu. Even if you consider it a sacrifice, then, make the sacrifice for the sake of your own family, for your own sake, for the sake of the larger family of the Nation of Biafra; ultimately, for the sake of Africa and even the world at large.  

Take a good look in the mirror! That person you see there has the full power to save us as a Nation of Biafra by what he or she does or does not do, now. You shall do the right thing because we must survive as a Nation, regain our liberty and dignity, and proceed to fulfill our God-given potential. There is no other way; there is no other outcome. Come, join us in unity and solidarity; vote for and support APGA and Ojukwu; in so doing, actualize Biafra now!  

It is now up to you.  

Biafra lives!  

That’s the news analysis for this week. Thank you.

 

God bless and keep Biafra, and you, until our next broadcast. Voice of Biafra Interntional (VOBI) broadcasts continues (http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm) . Thank you.