This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts
For June 21st, 2003
You have heard the news, now, the analysis…
Fellow Biafrans:
We have compelled Obasanjo to start considering the restructuring of Nigeria . He will move from “considering” restructuring to actually doing it—engaging in restructuring—or he must be forced into it. The chaotic state of things in Nigeria today will force him to do it. The shame brought to Nigeria by Obasanjo and PDP’s remorseless rigging of the elections will force him to embark on restructuring of Nigeria . And, when he has over-confidently assured himself that he has the peoples living in Nigeria under his thumb, he will make more arrogant mistakes, and then, the peoples shall surprise him—that will force him into actually acting on the restructuring of Nigeria .
Of course, right now, Obasanjo is living on borrowed political time. Each day, as the extent and manner of daylight rigging and falsifying of election results becomes more evident, the peoples living in Nigeria can begin to understand that in fact, elections might as well not even have happened, because, the results were already fixed by professionals in the employ of PDP and Obasanjo and INEC. While the peoples might have been nonchalant in the beginning about this fraud, they are now asking themselves: what good were the elections if the results can be fixed with such brazenness? And they are asking why they should allow Obasanjo and his cabal to return to rule Nigeria when it was Obasanjo and PDP who orchestrated this massive electoral fraud in their own favor and for their own selfish self-succession ambitions.
And, of course, the peoples living in Nigeria now know that the world knows what is happening in Nigeria . The entire world now knows that a candidate who lost the election has turned around and used the instruments of the corrupt Nigerian Courts, the bribery and intimidating force of PDP, backed by its leader, Obasanjo, to actually get himself declared the winner of the election which he had originally lost. Not only that, this same loser-rigged-into-winner was made the President of the Nigerian Senate! All in broad daylight! Imagine that. This was accomplished while the world watches! The shame and mockery, the laughter and jeering that this has brought to Nigeria from the world will not fall on these Nigerian 419-politicians; that shame and laughter will always belong to, and be directed against, the peoples of Nigeria . It is this last fact that all thinking peoples living in Nigeria have now been sensitized to; are they just going to sit around and do nothing as the world laughs at them? We do not think so. Sooner or later—more sooner than later—the collective will of the peoples living in Nigeria will be galvanized into civil action against Obasanjo and his friends, against PDP and its machinery, if not by a prick of conscience, then by the laughter and mockery of the world.
As this parody unfolds itself, making Nigeria , Nigerian politics, Nigerian so-called leaders (and by implication, the peoples of Nigeria ), the laughing stock of the world, we now learn that the original winner of the contested elections has withdrawn—in favor of the usurping loser! What a farce! So, we ask, is any turn of events too absurd for Nigeria ? No! Is there a limit to fraud and dishonesty in Nigeria ? No! Is there a bottom to this pit of evil and fraud called Nigeria ? So far, No! It’s been a bottomless pit into which the peoples living in Nigeria have been dragged and have been falling because of one-Nigeria, and there may in fact be no lows to which they cannot reach, as long as one- Nigeria continues.
This is the powder-keg on which the usurpers, Obasanjo and PDP, sit. The calls for the nurturing of democracy issued by the self-same fraudsters now ring hollow, as the peoples find out that Obasanjo and PDP are the real enemies of democracy, hiding behind democracy to perpetrate the worst anti-democratic acts.. Obasanjo and PDP have now proved themselves to be the worst hypocrites—those who sing the song of democracy in the daytime, while at the same time, both night and day, with blatant, shameless relish, they mock the peoples and the systems with open antidemocratic deeds. Their tongue should stick in their mouth each time they use “democracy” as an excuse to be allowed to complete their fraud and crime. But the peoples living in Nigeria will not, this time around, be satisfied with that. It is the potential for this type of mounting popular pressure that is forcing Obasanjo to do that which he had vowed never to consider: the restructuring of Nigeria .
Now, let us state here with utmost clarity that what was reported in the news as Obasanjo’s plan for restructuring of Nigeria is totally unacceptable. This plan—so-called “blueprint” for a “new order”—is totally crass, and reflects a lack of vision. But, it also shows to the peoples living in Nigeria —including those who prefer to remain blind—that Obasanjo is not a democrat, and has never been one. Nor is his administration. Instead of asking the peoples how they would like to have restructuring accomplished, he devises his own plan, without input from the generality of the people, without comments from stake holders. Next, he will try to shove it down the throats of the hapless peoples living in Nigeria , and if history is a predictor, he will “succeed” unchallenged, after using his well-oiled battering machinery to intimidate, haze, bribe, bully and bruise the peoples living in Nigeria into submission. Obasanjo, his administration, and his party, PDP, have become very predictable in their modus operandus; and their ways and acts always hurt the peoples living in Nigeria .
Obasanjo’s restructuring plan is so stupid that once again, when formally unveiled, it will ridicule Nigeria and the peoples living in Nigeria in the eyes of the world. What this plan does is to introduce another tier of government, which is still controlled by a strong central administration, complete with appointed offices instead of elected offices. So, all that Obasanjo’s plan has accomplished is the creation of more government posts for his friends and for his party, more opportunity for officials to raid the coffers of Nigeria while the common person living in Nigeria still suffers; more bureaucracy to confuse the governance of Nigeria (hence, by designed default, leaving real control in the hands of a strong centralized administration).
To cap it all, this Obasanjo’s plan will strengthen the Local Government Administration (LGA) structure. And if you are asking, “so what?” let us remind you that it is only in Nigeria where the Local Government is created by the Federal Government, is directly responsible to the Federal Government, is paid by the Federal Government, and is operated by the Federal Government. Please, tell us, what does “local” mean in Nigeria ? Thus, what we see is an adulteration of the meaning of “local government” (the Communist governments used this trick); another example of the deliberate aberrations created by Nigerian so-called political leaders and the system, designed to rob the peoples living in Nigeria of any power, instead, to concentrate the power in the hands of a few persons at the center, such persons by experience invariably being unethical and without scruples, operating and commanding a hypocritical and anti-democratic, dictatorial sociopolitical machinery.
Fellow Biafrans, we urge you to (rather than focus on the dirty and fraudulent politics of the Nigerian Senate President) focus on RESTRUCTURING of Nigeria . Seize on this opportunity, because that’s our ticket to Biafra Actualization. Our Ngwa brothers and sisters should not allow themselves to be enticed into the thinking that they have produced the No. 3 Citizen of Nigeria, and for that reason, forgo the real prize, or sell their conscience, or forgo reason. First, what is fraudulently obtained is dishonest, no matter who holds it; none of us should support that. The current usurped role of Obasanjo and PDP is not going to be allowed to stand. Second, we are not Nigerians: we are Biafrans; and no matter the position that an Igbo-Biafran appears to hold in Nigeria , the facts are that he or she is still a puppet of Obasanjo, the North, and those who like to humiliate us at every opportunity. Third, what glory, honor or fame did the former Senate Presidents bring to their local Igbo-Biafran communities, except for humiliation at the hands of Obasanjo who treats these “men” as if they were less than boys—mere errand-kids? When are we going to learn, oh Igbo-Biafran people—when?
We must seize on the idea of restructuring of Nigeria . We must present and push our plan for such restructuring. Do you realize who originated the idea of restructuring Nigeria ? Remember: “On Aburi we stand”? Odumegwu Ojukwu got Gowon and the other Nigerian coupists-murderers to agree on region-based restructuring of Nigeria back in Aburi , Ghana , in 1967. It was only when Gowon reneged on this agreement later that the Biafran War became inevitable. Since then, Nigeria has remained unworkable—up till today. And today, regionalization is not sufficient—the malady of Nigeria can no longer be cured by mere loose regional confederacy. Complete independence and sovereignty is the only solution. And for us, a sovereign and independent Biafra is the only answer.
Fellow Biafrans: that is a major reason why we have asked for our continuing support for Ojukwu, and for APGA who was the only party with the vision, wisdom and courage to have on its platform the Restructuring of Nigeria. APGA and Ojukwu know our destination— Biafra . We must continue to fully support them in our ongoing show of unity and solidarity, because they will adequately represent our interest at a sovereign national conference designed to restructure Nigeria , which interest is only Biafra .
Using a different means, MASSOB and Uwazurike are working towards the peaceful actualization of Biafra . We must also give them our full support; though the thread is different, the direction is the same; the goal is the same. We salute them all!
When we fully support APGA and Ojukwu, Uwazurike and MASSOB, we at once acknowledge the evil and fraud perpetrated by Obasanjo and PDP on Ndigbo-Biafrans in the name of elections; and also reject their usurpation of ruling power over us or even over Nigeria . We refuse to accept and reward dishonesty; we reject Nigeria because that’s all that Nigeria represents—evil, dishonesty, fraud.
God created Biafra Biafra. God made us Biafrans. These are Divine facts. Let us live as manifestations of the Divine act of creation—let us live as Biafrans in Biafra . in God’s name.
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/vobi.htm). Thank you.