This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International broadcasts

For July 17^th, 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: God means what He says, though man may not comprehend.

This week, we want to remind everybody about what the real problem that is Nigeria truly is. It is not unusual nor uncommon that with complexity of form, a simple problem is lost in its multifarious manifestations, especially when those manifestations are each as equally complex and serious and as profound as the other.

The problem with Nigeria is “one-Nigeria”—this means the notion that Nigeria is one and or can be one country. What is wrong with that notion? Well, the notion is fallacious--a lie; there is no supporting fact at all that Nigeria is one, nor is there any evidence that Nigeria can be one. There is no natural “one-ness” to Nigeria, and there is no cultural, linguistic or religious basis for such "one-ness",or call it such "unity," if you like.

Now, we have told you what you already know; but what we need to point out and what we are intending to point out—a point which you might have missed—is that that simple problem of Nigeria is the "'one-ness'-matter" or "unity-matter" (or lack thereof). Not being one is not a problem by itself. But, trying to force what is not one, in the first instance, to be one: THAT IS the problem; pretending that what was not one and is not one, is now one, is perilous at best. When repeated efforts to force what is not one into unity has failed, and the system continues to pretend that there is unity—that constitutes a major problem. Insisting that what by nature and nurture are completely different and not one, have to be forced into a union, is not only foolish and foolhardy at best, but is a problem of existential proportions.

Let us bring this down to the gut level. Many Biafrans think that sufficient goodwill and good neighborliness will bring unity to Nigeria. Well, these Biafrans have been proven wrong repeatedly. While Biafrans are bent on actually acting like the country is united, Nigerians have done everything possible to remind the Biafrans that such a notion is not to be taken seriously, but only with expediency. How does this work? Northerners kill Biafrans there and destroy their property and businesses as a religious and cultural right, rite and ritual, because not only do they hate the guts of Biafrans, they also take the Biafrans to be strangers—infidel settlers—in Northern Nigeria, worthy of loath and contempt, but otherwise worthless. Now, in a united Nigeria, why would any citizen be treated as a stranger, and most telling of all, why would this happen with local government and state government support, and the acquiescence of Federal government (which equals tacit support)? The foolishness of it all is that these Biafrans are part of trying to force Nigeria into one; that is the problem, and we Biafrans are living it.

The "expediency" aspect is that other Nigerians claim one-Nigeria only when it suits their purpose. When it comes to tapping Biafran Oil which now garners up to 98% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange, they claim one-Nigeria. Well, as soon as they get the oil money, what do they do with it? They develop their parts of Nigeria and allow Biafraland to wallow in such abject poverty that is mind-boggling, considering, that the Oil is a Biafran natural resource. When the people protest, Nigeria squashes them; if the people are forced to take up arms to defend their survival, Nigeria deploys foreign-made and foreign-supplied sophisticated weaponry against them. Have you seen the level of socio-ecologic devastation caused by oil drilling in Biafraland? Is it not unconscionable that some of the revenue is not redirected to the repair and rehabilitation of the ravaged land exploited populace? But, that’s one-Nigeria for you. Another example is evident in the area of jobs and or educational opportunities where Nigerians reserve all the top slots for their own kinsmen; or place every single applicant from their ethnic group whether they are qualified or not, before considering any other applicant, with one predictable but devastating consequence: since the Biafran region is deliberately denied infrastructure and government investment, and since Biafrans are traditionally the most meritorious based on personal drive and achievement and industry, and fair competition, Biafrans are excluded from meaningful participation and from education opportunities. Yet, Biafrans want to latch on to the false illusion of one-Nigeria!

Then, Biafrans think that acting, believing and being super-one-Nigerian Nationalists is the thing to do, not realizing that all they are doing is basically stoking the fire of the real problem of Nigeria. Zik is remembered as a one-Nigeria Nationalist. What good did it do him or us or even Nigeria for that matter? During the Biafran War, Zik defected to the Nigerian side—ostensibly to save the lives of starving Biafrans, but we now know that whatever his intensions, he scored a diplomatic, propaganda and psychological victory for Nigeria against his own people, and in the end, those same Nigerians who promised him “no victors, no vanquished...," didn’t they laugh at him, and then, proceed to institute policies that have continued to kill more Biafrans and deprive more Biafrans than the War itself? It was the same group whose motto was “the basis for Nigeria unity does not exist” who, having mouthed the truth, went ahead to work against it—again, sustaining the problem of Nigeria. And, by the way, what was the North’s grievance against Aguiyi Ironsi which they used as an excuse to back-justify murdering him? Was it not that Ironsi was trying to force Nigeria into one (at that time, the North did not want to be forced into a strongly united Nigeria).

You can find other examples for yourself. Forcing Nigeria into a united country will not work; insisting that it work as such is suicidal futility; pretending that it works is lunacy; and applying expediency to the false unity for purposes of exploitation is morally bereft and criminal. Add these issues all together, and you have the complexities of the problem that is Nigeria, of which the root problem is really quite simple: trying to have what you cannot have because it is not there.

The solution to the problem of Nigeria, the problem that is Nigeria, is the allowance of what is there naturally. To say “separation of the units” is to accept the illusion that there was even unity to start with. What was never united in the first place could not later be “separated”—there would be nothing to separate. Just allow nature to take its course. In practical terms, this means the abrogation and abandonment of all the trappings which gave the impression that Nigeria was one, and abandonment of the applied forces which press to keep Nigeria one, albeit unsuccessfully. This means allowing Nigeria to dissolve by ignoring or abandoning its artificial constraints—political, judicial, police and governance. Once this is done, the Nations will emerge, as a matter of course, and of their own right, subsequently, to conduct and manage their own affairs and destiny, each by herself.

Fellow Biafrans, be proud of what you are by Nature and by Divine Fiat, as Biafrans. Know that supporting the forced one-Nigeria is contributing to a huge problem—the problem that is wiping out our people at that. If you know what the problem is—as you now know—you can apply the right solution, which you now also know.

Biafra lives, because there is no problem without a solution; Biafra is that solution! That’s God solution.

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) with the summary of the News Analysis in Igbo language

Ndi Biafra anyi ekele unu.

Nke a bu akuko nke anyi na akpo News Analysis si na Voice of Biafra International radio di na Washington DC na ala Amerika na abiara unu na abali a.

Na mbido, anyi na e wetara unu okwu si na onu Chineke anyi na a si na Ya agaghi ekwe ka okike Ya, nke unu dum bu, la na iyi site na ihi ihe ojo o ahu a na akpo Nigeria. Chineke na ekwu si na Nigeria ga anwu, ma na okike nke Chineke, nke bu unu dum, ga adi ndu, ma na eri kwa ndu, bie kwa ogologo ndu. Nde Biafra: Chineke ga eme ihe O kwuru, ma obula na mmadu enweghi nghota.

Odi mkpa ka anyi me ka unu ghota ihe wu isi-na-odu nsogbu di na Nigeria ta a. Isi-na-odu ya wu ihe gbasara Nigeria iwu otu. Anyi agaghi egbu oge unu i na agwa unu na Nigeria abughi otu, na na Nigeria enweghi ike ibu otu ma obu na oge ga ra aga, ma obu ugbu a, ma obu na oge na abia abia: Nigeria enweghi ike iwu otu. Unu na ile a mara la ya. Ma ihe anyi na acho ka unu ghota ta a wu na owu ihe Nigeria na eme (ma ka ezi okwu a gbasara Nigeria enweghi ike wu ru otu), wu ihe bu isi-na-odu nsogbu a din Nigeria.

Nigeria na eji ike na acho ka ihe awughi otu na mbu ka owuru otu. Onweghi ike ka nka me e; ma Nigeria na agbali ike ya. O wu ebe a ka isi-na-odu nsogbu a di. Nigeria na eji aghugho, na ekwu naani na onu na Nigeria wu otu, ma na na ime obi ha na mmuo ha, ma obu mgbe o ruru na omume, Nigeria na akpa agwa ka Nigeria awughi otu—nke bu ezi okwu. I hu na ihe na eme? I hu na isi-na-odu nsogbu a? Na ime obi madu na ile, na na ime mmuo ha, ma obu na omume ha, ma ndi Nigeria ma anyi na ile a mara la na Nigeria awughi otu. Ma ndi Nigeria bia ha na ekwu ihe ozo na onu ha, na aba mba oge obu la ma ka otu Nigeria ga esi were di ri na otu, mgbe obi ha na mmuo ha na omume ha wu ihe ozo.

Ndi Biafra: onye si gi na ha ga emezi Nigeria ka oburu otu, buru kwa ezigbo obodo, bi ko, vuo onye ahu asu, ma ka onye ahu bu onye ugha na onye asi. Ya na ndi otu ya ndi Nigeria na eji ihe di otu a na aghogbu ndi Biafra, na apkari ndi Biafra, na emegbu ndi Biafra; otu a ka ha ji ezuru cha ihe wu ihe oke nke ndi Biafra.

Ma o wughi cha di na ha na emegbu ndi Biafra mgbe ha na ekwu okwu onu di otu a, ma na ihe ha na eme wu i na akwado isi-na-odu nsogbu bu Nigeria. Ha na aro aro; ha na acho ichikota na otu ihe abughi otu. Ha na egbu oge ha, na oge anyi, were kwa na egbu anyi—ma ka nsogbu a bu nsogbu ojo o.

Ta a, unu aghotala ihe bu nsogbu Nigeria. Unu ama ta kwa la ihe ga eme ka nsogbu ahu puo: ndi obula bi na Nigeria ga a la ga za a aha nna ha, ga a za ezigbo aha ha, nke abughi one-Nigeria ma obu Nigeria. Aha anyi bu Biafra. Ta a, unu a mara la na onye obula na azo, ma obu na aza, ma obu na acho, one-Nigeria na eme ka nsogbu a ka no di. Ma ezi okwu wu na anyi di iche iche, na anyi awughi otu. Mbe anyi kwu ru ezi okwu a, bie kwa ezi okwu ya, nsogbu Nigeria agwusia la. Biafra wu ezi okwu; obu so o so inweta Biafra ga e wepu nsogbu Nigeria. Unu echefu kwa la nke a ozo.

Biafra ga adi! Biafra ga adi riri. Biafra adigo! Ma ka otu a ka Chineke anyi siri cho ya.

Ndewo nu!

Chukwu dube na gozie Biafra, na gi kwa. 

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues
Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
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equivalent to 10.00pm - 11.00pm Biafraland time
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