This write-up is in lieu of the regular News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International broadcasts where the April 24th 2004 is being repeated today.  

May 1st, 2004

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

“My peoples and my nations shall not be sacrificed for the sake of preserving a worthless idea called Nigeria.” So speaketh the Lord. And so it is.

“The peoples and their nations must live and thrive, though the name and concept of Nigeria die. The peoples and their nations must not and will not be allowed to perish just to save a dying Nigeria” So says the Lord.

Fellow Biafrans: There is Power in the Word of God. Depend on it.

Today, we see what the Nigerian police is doing to our people, on our own Biafran soil. The Nigerian police is hunting down our own people, MASSOB members, of which we are all members since we are in the struggle to liberate our people, Biafrans, and liberate our nation, Biafra, from the crushing evil clutches of Nigeria. What is the offense of our MASSOB people this time? According to the same police, MASSOB members organized a clean-up and sanitation activity for our own people, in our own land. Yes, that’s it, that is it, People of Biafra. You heard it right, and you read it correctly: that is their crime. (As you may recall, we announced these activities on VOBI, too).  

The Yoruba Nigerian police officer proudly announced to the News media, to the people of Biafra, and to the rest of Nigeria, that he and the other Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba Nigerian police force occupying our land, are out hunting down our people, for the offense of our own people organizing a sanitation and clean-up program for our own land, in our own land! No, he was not standing in Abuja while bragging out this action; he was not standing in Abeokuta while making this announcement. He was standing on Biafran soil, and with all arrogance, announcing and supporting this unconscionable act against our own people! Imagine that!  

About one year ago or so, our people, that time, under the aegis of the then Ohaneze, watched, allowed and enabled General Obasanjo to stand on Biafraland and insult and humiliate our people to their face prior to the fraud called 2003 elections in Nigeria. Nobody did anything about it. In fact, Iwuanyanwu, the then Chair of the Political action committee for Ohaneze, who was charged with presenting and electing an Igbo Presidential candidate, without shame, and without apology, was bought and paid for by Obasanjo, and in spite of his committee charge, crossed the carpet to manage Obasanjo’s campaign in Igboland-Biafraland. Iwuanyanwu even had the audacity to defend his action to Ndigbo and to vigorously and murderously conduct this campaign for Obasanjo in Igboland-Biafraland. Ohaneze did nothing. We did not do much either.  

So, today, we watch as the Yoruba-Hausa-Fulani police forced on our people in Biafraland have once again started another act of harassing our people, seeking them out, beating them, invariably killing some of them, and placing the rest in jail—for the crime(?) of organizing a clean-up and sanitation activity for our people? This is happening in Anambra—remember Anambra? This time around, the PDP party and its members, the PDP administration, the efulefu Ngige and the government officials are standing by and not saying or doing anything while this travesty is happening in our own land?  

Fellow Biafrans: how much humiliation can a people take? How much dignity can we allow to be taken away from us as a people before we disqualify ourselves, by ourselves, from the comity of respectable humanity?  What will it take for us to say, Enough! and in so doing, remove ourselves from the role where our oppressors dehumanize us with regularity and with impunity?  

Consider the depth of the current insult being handed to our people in our own land. In the faraway land of Northern Nigeria, in the Zamfara State, the Governor—no less—has declared that (Christian) churches will be destroyed, because the North is the land of Muslims. He made this announcement not in secret or in the chambers, but out loud, to the entire State, to the News media, to Nigeria, and in fact, to the rest of the world. Do you know who built and congregate in those churches? Igbo-Biafrans. Can you guess the next step—after they have burned down churches? Why, of course, it will be the destruction of the properties—any properties—of Igbo-Biafrans residing there and along with that, Igbo-Biafran lives, which are not considered by the Muslims to be worth any more than the speck of dirt on the latters' dusty feet.  

Considering the magnitude of such a declaration, what outcry have you heard—from the Media? From the peoples living in Nigeria? From Obasanjo? From PDP? From the Federal government of Nigeria? From the so-called Attorney General of Nigeria? From the Senate? (We won’t even mention Wabara). From the House? From the so-called leaders of Igbo-Biafra? From Ohaneze? From the mosque-building Orji Uzor Kalu?  

What outcry have you heard from our people—the people themselves, the people of Biafra? The elite will play their game of mum, and Igbo pro-one-nigerian paid efulefu’s will pretend to content themselves by saying something to the effect that it has been pointed out that Zamfara governor’s action is “unconstitutional.” These hypocrites conveniently forget that starting from Obasanjo himself and his government, from PDP and from Northern Nigeria ,  many acts clearly and incontrovertibly known to be “unconstitutional” have been carried out, many times, much to the detriment of our own people, and nothing has been or can be done about it. Many times, Obasanjo himself, or even PDP, will bully and use the Judiciary to “legitimize” such unconstitutional acts: isn’t this common knowledge and experience in the abomination called Nigeria?  

Fellow Biafrans: what can we do? How shall we stop further humiliation of our people? How can we regain our dignity?  

Well, let’s start from how it can NOT happen. Many of us look up to the UN or the US or “U-Something. Look, that is not going to happen. Almost 40 years ago, the UN and all the other U’s watched and witnessed and recorded the Genocide against Biafra by Nigeria (and some of the U’s even participated in it). AND, THEY DID NOTHING. Oh, don’t think they were not aware of what was going on: they were, indeed, and it is recorded in all their archives. Today, all the U’s have either diplomatic missions and or agents in Nigeria who gather information and conduct intelligence activities. If anything, they know more than you and I could ever know regarding things that are going on in Nigeria. So, let’s forget them for the moment.  

It is not going to happen—ie, we are not going to stop Nigeria from killing and humiliating us—by our doing nothing, by our risking nothing. In fact, the way things are today, it could even be said that we Biafrans have nothing left to lose in Nigeria. Doing nothing—risking nothing—will not help us.  

It will not happen by some of us complaining that the others are not doing anything, or are not doing enough, or that we are disorganized, therefore, they (these persons) can’t take us serious. It will not happen by some people waiting for everybody to be all united and all speaking with one voice before they can join; and in the meantime, use that as a condition and excuse for inaction. Let’s face it: it will be a miracle the day all Ndigbo are united and speak with the same voice; it probably will never happen. So, you see why we cannot rely on this prerequisite of “Unity” to do what we need to do?  

Thus, for the moment, forget what the UN can do for you now—which is nothing. Forget giving up hope and staying paralyzed, waiting for this or for that: it will not work, because Nigeria will certainly grind you to your death. Shelve the attitude that the problem is others’ and or what others are doing or what they cannot do. Biafra belongs to all of us, not just those who are trying to actualize it, no matter the shortcomings of their efforts. You cannot sit down and not do anything: nor can you continue to use the excuse of lack of unity and lack of agreement among Biafrans. None of this is going to help.  

Fellow Biafrans: if you have not already done so (and many of you have—and have done something about it already), ask yourself: can I take this any longer, and how much longer? How much longer can our people take it before they perish into oblivion and lose the respect of the up-and-coming generations? Then, ask yourself what you can do, what you can contribute;  follow your spirit—all the way. Do not doubt your own spirit when you have asked seriously and received serious answers.  

We know that MASSOB members have already done that and are quite active and determined. For them, it has meant hardship, loss of family and even friends, loss of property, injury, jail, torture, and death. Yes, even death!  There are few other pro-Biafran organization members who are also similarly committed. We understand that MASSOB may not be the path for everybody, but whatever your path is, follow it now, and whatever your part is, act it out now. There will be risks. But, what is the alternative?  

And in all things, when you see any single Biafran being beaten or humiliated, recognize that the victim is not just that individual Biafran, but is actually you, too, and all of us. As such, resolve to act—to come in support and aid of your Biafran comrade, yes, in spite of the risks.  

Remember  that sometimes, the level of participation required crosses all bents and biases. Many times, it is not so much unity that is necessary, but FOCUS. The beautiful thing about FOCUS is that we can focus our efforts while coming from clearly different directions, and still be quite effective. And our people have an appropriate saying about that. We repeat, Unity is of course great (when we can get it), but FOCUS is easier to achieve, and is just as effective. And, unity or not, we must proceed to act when that’s the only option left.  

With that, we ask you to think of what the police is doing to our people in Anambra because MASSOB decided to organize needed and overdue clean-up and sanitation activities in our own land. We want you to remember that we are all really MASSOBians. We ask you not to forget that the Nigerian government and police are deliberately looking the other way when the Northerners are announcing the onset of another round of pillage against Biafrans in the North. Yes, they are not going to do anything about it. We ask you to transform your outrage, anger, frustration, angst and indignation into action—FOCUSED action. There are risks. Check with your own heart and spirit, and act accordingly.  

Finally, it is time that we all admit that the government of the day in Biafraland, the so-called elected officials and so-called leaders, have failed us woefully when it comes to supporting the welfare of the people and protecting the people from undue, unconstitutional and morally, physically and psychically repugnant and injurious harassment from all quarters. In fact, often, they have contributed to this themselves. Therefore, it is time for us as a collective—Oha, that is—to begin deliberations on our response-options, because, it is our moral and divine right so to do. If one of the other Northern States can form a ”shadow government” to preserve their own people’s rights and welfare, and then, announce that openly, and nobody has challenged them, why not us? There are indeed options, and it is time to consider them.  

Biafra lives!  

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) broadcast continues (http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm)  

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
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