This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts
For June 7th 2003
You have heard the news, now, the analysis…
Fellow Biafrans:
We are well aware of the eerie feeling across the land—in Biafraland—resulting from the mess created by Obasanjo and PDP-INEC machinery in first, rigging the elections, and then, following through by crowning and installing themselves as the President and government, respectively, in Nigeria, even in the face of strong opposition, and in spite of great confusion in Biafraland..
We feel your feelings which are the result of the fact that although you voted for APGA and Ojukwu when the elections actually took place, the Obasanjo election-rigging machinery changed the results and awarded victory to PDP and himself. When you realized what was going on, and then you did not bother to vote in subsequent rounds, the same fraudsters produced incredulous results and declared themselves victors. Yes, places where no voting took place at all produced results declaring PDP and Obasanjo as winners.
We feel your feelings because all throughout this period, you, Biafrans, were mistreated and oppressed. Hundreds of MASSOB members were killed and maimed and others put in jail just prior to the elections. The Nigerian security apparatus denied you the freedom of movement and denied you the freedom of voting your choice in these elections. When APGA and Ojukwu campaigned in Kaduna , the armed Security agents were sent in to tear-gas a peaceful rally and disperse the admirers and supporters of Ojukwu and APGA , without any provocation or justification at all. In spite of this, peoples have not raised their voice in protest or in challenge, or just even to voice their opinion that this is unfair, wrong, and immoral, so to at least clear their conscience.
We feel your feelings when today, the Obasanjo machinery has foisted himself and PDP over you, in spite of your either having voted for APGA and Ojukwu, or not voted at all, and never even voted for PDP. Using the threat and actual employment of force and intimidation, Obasanjo and PDP have made Biafraland a truly occupied land. Yet, nobody seems to care; the rest of Nigeria carries on as if nothing happened; and PDP operatives in Biafraland are busy continuing their usual no-good activities.
We feel your feelings of being betrayed by the rest of Nigeria and the World in general, who never took a strong and disciplined stand against an usurper and his fellow fraudsters who are now forcing their rule over you. You feel abandoned and left at the mercy of Obasanjo who had earlier threatened you that his second term will be even more hellish for you, and at the mercy of murderous PDP whose only success in the past four years was the killing of Ndigbo-Biafrans without accountability, and the “balkanization” of Biafraland and her peoples so that there was destabilizing intramural infighting among you. How sad that Obasanjo, having bragged about what he was going to do to Igbo-Biafrans when he retains power, has actually rigged himself into retaining that power, and is thus poised to deliver on his threats to Igbo-Biafrans, aided by Igbo-Biafran efulefu’s, saboteurs, and sycophants. How much sadder for us to be in a position from where it seems nothing can be done about it.
We feel your feelings because the same old efulefu’s appear to be back again, ready to continue from where they paused just before the so-called elections, to resume tormenting you The same thieves who steal payroll meant for workers and pensioners are still around, criminals who have not changed their ways, and who have no intention to change, criminals without a shred of conscience. This evil and the evil they represent is still with you.
But, fellow Biafrans: it is not over yet. This is only either the beginning of the end of Nigeria and Obasanjo, PDP and the evil machinery, or the end of the beginning phase of the dissolution of Nigeria, the sidelining of PDP and Obasanjo, and the parallel process of the logical assertion and actualization of Biafra. Out of this “stunned” dispensation, we shall emerge stronger and completely convinced that there is no other way out than Biafra actualization; and there is no better time to accomplish that than now, and that further wait is meaningless.
We only need two things: 1) continuing trust in God, knowing that our cries have reached up to the heavens. We have noticed how many of us have embraced the Church and have sought Divine comfort. Well, let us not fail to continue to petition God for our liberation and let us not fail to believe in His power to save us Biafrans from the present-day Pharaoh of Egypt in the name and form of Obasanjo in Nigeria . Those of us that believe only in our Chi, it is also time to ask of your Chi liberation and salvation for Biafra from the wicked clutches of evil Nigeria. Whatever you need to do to claim the promise and blessings of your God, your Chi, let’s do it now.
The second thing to do is what we have been asking for in these past few months, and what most of us have been doing, after having understood its importance and significance. We would like everybody to continue to give full support to APGA and Ojukwu, and repose in them the full power and authority to carry out the mandate of our people, the Nation of Biafra, which is to extract from the present situation the actualization of Biafra . Thus charged and empowered, APGA and Ojukwu will be under Divine guidance and direction as instruments in the hands of God in the delivery and liberation of the nation of Biafra from the endemic disease and evil called Nigeria .
There are other Igbo-Biafran organizations in Biafraland or in Diaspora. We urge every single one of them to pledge that they would never do anything to hurt Biafra or to jeopardize the cause of Biafra ; we implore these organizations to pick up complementary tasks and objectives all leading to the quicker and more effective actualization of Biafra . There is no place and no room in Biafraland today for Igbo-Biafran organizations and individuals working against Biafra actualization. Such organizations and individuals need to pick up their things and move West or North to join their other Nigerian friends who have sworn to see Biafra dead. We can only feel sorry for them.
We shall also use this opportunity to state that we have seen the work and agenda of WIC—the World Igbo Congress. When this organization refused to endorse APGA and Ojukwu, it made a grave mistake. By its continuing to pursue a pro-one-Nigeria agenda disguised as so-called Igbo agenda, this organization fails to meet the basic condition for an Igbo-Biafran organization designed to help our people. WIC therefore will not serve the purpose of Biafra , but is inclined to serve the purpose of Nigeria . We therefore urge individual organizations belonging to WIC to stand up and declare where they stand: for Biafra or for Nigeria . The organizations who want Nigeria can stop hiding behind WIC and come out plain, then they can move to Nigeria . The time to be a wolf in sheep's’ clothing is over.
Fellow Biafrans: what is going to free Biafrans is Biafra actualization. What is going to help Biafrans fulfill their natural potential is complete separation and secession of Biafra from Nigeria . Igbo-Biafrans can only succeed now and in the future when we move out of Nigeria . You have heard about plans to do this or to do that to make Igbo-Biafraland better, without the authors committing to Biafran liberation and actualization. We state categorically that these plans are doomed to failure, for the simple reason that no good thing will be allowed by Nigeria to happen in Biafraland or to Biafrans as long as Biafra remains in Nigeria . Experience and facts show that Nigeria has the power—and has exercised that power—to stop and crush any major or meaningful developments in Igbo-Biafraland, with extreme prejudice and out of sheer malice; Biafrans can do nothing to stop or correct that, at least, not thus far. When it suits them, Nigeria will use armed government agents to terminate and destroy these developments and even kill Biafrans engaged in these developmental projects—and Nigeria will do this without challenge by Biafrans, and without accountability. So, what we are saying is that Nigeria will continue to successfully stop anything you try to set up in Biafra as long as Biafra is part of Nigeria . The only development you can bring to Biafra now is to liberate Biafra from Nigeria ; then you will see how natural it is for Biafrans to shine and excel, with little or no encouragement.
Speaking of accountability, let Nigeria and her current crop of so-called leaders take note of current events. Just this week, Johnson Taylor of Liberia was indicted for his role in war crimes against the Liberian people and neighbors committed by armed men to whom he gave support and aid. Though he was once and is now again the President of Liberia and has enjoyed the protection of his followers and his army, he has no immunity to his crimes under the UN. Now, he will certainly be brought to justice for those crimes which he committed 10 years ago or longer. General Obasanjo, take note, because eventually, you will be facing the same fate. In that day, there will be no power to protect you—neither the power of your kinsmen, nor of your own, nor of the sycophants with whom you belong—no power to protect you from indictment, trial and conviction by the UN for all the crimes against civilized humanity which you have perpetrated on the people of Biafra since even just 1999.
Mr. Balogun, you can brag and boast daily about how your police will shoot unarmed civilians on sight. Your Police Force has committed murder by killing innocent unarmed civilians of the MASSOB on several occasions, and your own formal, vocal and documented incriminating responses have been noted carefully and officially by the UN. Just this past week, your Police killed persons from Umuokiri and Umuaro villages in Mbano, and destroyed the entire villages in a revenge attack aimed at unarmed civilian communities. Your case is an open and shut case; the UN indictment awaits you. Along with Odi, Junkun and the other crime scenes, Mbano will be the Waterloo for you and people like you who have delighted in committing murder, especially in such a cowardly manner: trained armed men—armed to the teeth—aiming and firing at unarmed and helpless civilians, including women, children, and old men, and turning around and destroying their property. Your time is coming—and sooner than you realize. Same goes for all those shameless efulefu Igbo PDP governors who are involved in the killing of Igbo-Biafran civilians.
On that note, we leave you, so that you will not forget the evil perpetrated on you, and so that you will not forget that the UN will reach in and indict these criminals some day. We also want you to know that it is not over yet; Obasanjo and his fraudsters may prance around today, but tomorrow will be a different story. It is only a matter of how soon before that tomorrow arrives to deal with them.
Biafra lives because God has made it so. Let us therefore live as Biafrans, because God has created us so.
That’s the news analysis for the week. Thank you.
God bless and keep Biafra, and you, until our next broadcast. Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts continues (http://www.biafraland.com follow Voice of Biafra link). Thank you.