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

For July 24^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: Just when you dismiss it as immaterial, God’s Word shows its power.

We start today by reminding our people of Biafra to judge every “leader” and every organization and every institution henceforth by his/her/its acts and by his/her/its words. In the past, we might not have had a standard to judge by; those were the days when “we did not know what we wanted.” All that has changed, now. We know what we want. And we know that it is only that thing that we want. And we know that we must have that, and that only: nothing else; nothing less. And, that which we want is Biafra. We must actualize Biafra. On this standard, we judge everything and everyone.

Let’s re-examine the recent statement credited to Professor Joe Irukwu, the President of the “new” Ohaneze, in a recent interview with one of the Nigeria newspapers where he is reported to have said:

“"Ohanaeze is an agency for building very solid bridges of goodwill and better understanding between Ndigbo and other Nigerians, starting from our neighbours in this part and every other part of Nigeria," he said.

Irukwu said that since Nigeria as a nation derives its strength from the various component ethnic groups there was need for them to be united under the principle of equity and fair play.”

If the Professor is truly speaking for Ohaneze, then we can conclude that the “new Ohaneze” has been fully corrupted by the old Ohaneze: at best, it is as if a drop of new wine was poured into an old wine bottle containing stale, spent wine. Thus, we hope, for Ohaneze’s sake, that Professor Irukwu was speaking for his own self. Because, there is nothing about this report that supports Biafra or Biafra actualization. In fact, the main thrust of it is the protection of one-Nigeria. Fellow Biafrans: we must distance ourselves now from Professor Irukwu; and if it is true that his statement is in fact Ohaneze’s mission, then we must also unequivocally turn our backs on Ohaneze—right now, right here.

Ask yourself: is the Professor so dense that he does not understand that since 1960, all that our people have been doing is building and maintaining more bridges to our so-called neighbors of the North and West? And, that we have done this in spite of the fact that those that we build bridges to always reject us, always chase and drive us back across those bridges, killing and murdering us all the way, then burn the bridges and turn around and burn all that we have built in their land, in order to keep us in our own place? And then, we go back, like fools, like dummies, to start building fresh and more bridges, only to suffer the same fate and repeat the same cycle?

Who has had goodwill at all times in Nigeria; who has had more good will than Biafrans towards or among Nigerians? Who is the most tolerant of other groups in Nigeria? Who has never singled out and attacked a particular group in Nigeria because such a group is not kin, or because such a group does not belong to the same religion? If Professor Irukwu does not have the correct answer to these questions, he has no business leading Ohaneze. If he actually represents and reflects the mission of Ohaneze in this ignorance, then, Ohaneze is doomed; we shall bury Ohaneze and spit on its grave.

Fellow Biafrans: what has been our reward, our repayment, for making sacrifices to keep Nigeria one? Our payback for going to other parts of Nigeria where their hatred for us is not even hidden, but is thrown in our face at any and every opportunity? Our reward for developing those parts of  Nigeria with the infrastructure that we build with our own hands (and leave) there, and for the services we provide there—infrastructure and services that we do not even build and provide for our land, Biafraland?

Reward for Biafrans for all that? Repayment for Biafrans for these things? Genocide against Biafrans. Starvation of Biafrans to death. “Jihad” against unarmed Biafrans. Killing, murder and mayhem against Biafrans living in the North. Senseless, gratuitous violence and pillage against Biafrans living in the North, and cyclically, in the West. Police brutality against Biafrans right here in Biafraland. Killing of Biafrans by Nigerian security agents and their collaborators—right here, under our very nose, in Biafraland, as we watch helplessly, and Ohaneze looks the other way.  Arrest and torture of our own people in our own land by Nigerian police—often ordered by so-called Eastern States governors—for activities such as getting together for a community clean-up exercise. We are not even going to mention the total marginalization of our people; the Nigerian appointment of so-called leaders and imposing them over our people; and the commandeering of our natural resources by the Nigerian government for the benefit of thieving Nigerian leaders and the improvement of their own regions, to the deliberate and utter neglect of Biafraland.

Given this evident reality, Professor Irukwu’s statement is so irritating, so annoying, so insensitive, so pandering, as to be incomprehensible and unforgivable. We turn our back on him. If Ohaneze does not come out and condemn and correct Irukwu’s statement, we also must turn our back on Ohaneze.

Fellow Biafrans: we have suffered too much and too long; our silence and patience have yielded only the wrong results. Today, we must act against anybody and any organization, especially those of Biafran origin, who or which continue to mock us and to pretend that what has happened to us has not really happened. We start today by making an example of Professor Irukwu. We are going to shun him; ignore him, and cast him out of the fold of Biafra Oha. And if in fact Ohaneze is behind him, then we must look away from Ohaneze, dismiss it, and drop any hope or expectation of anything good ever coming out of that organization.

Look to MASSOB/BLF; join them and follow their example. Look to Biafra Foundation (BF) and BAF (Biafra Actualization Forum). Support them. There are other genuine, uncompromisingly  pro-Biafran organizations and leadership: seek them out and work with them. For now, we pass a vote of “no confidence” in Professor Irukwu and in any organization whose interests he truly reflects.

We refuse to patronize anyone or any organization which hurts Biafra and or Biafra interests. We will show no support and we will show no respect for anyone or anybody who hurts Biafra and Biafrans. It is our right and our choice; it is our duty, and we must do our part. This is the least we can do today.

Biafra lives, let us prove that we Biafrans are alive! That’s the way God wants it..

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 abia ra unu na abali a.

Na mbido, anyi na ewetara unu okwu si na onu Chineke anyi na asi na Ya agaghi ekwe ka okike Ya, nke unu dum bu, la na iyi site na ihi ihe ojo o ahu ana 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: mbge i chefuru Okwu Chineke, mgbe ahu ka o ga eme ire.

Ta, anyi na ile a mara la ihe anyi cho ro. Anyi a mara la ebe anyi na aga. Ihe anyi cho ro wu Biafra. Anyi ga enweta Biafra. Onweghi kwa ihe ozo anyi na a cho. Ebe anyi a mara la ihe wu ihe ahu nke anyi na acho, anyi kwesiri i na atu le ihe obula ndi madu na ekwu, ma o bu ihe ha na eme, ma obu nde mmadu ma obu otu ha, ma o bu ndi na achi ha. Anyi ga atu le ihe ha na ekwu ma o bu omume ha, otu o siri gbasara Biafra.

Anyi agu o la ihe newpaper de re gbasara ihe Professor Irukwu, onye isi ana akpo President, nde Ohaneze, kwu ru maka ihe Ohaneze na eme na Nigeria ta. Professor Irukwu na ekwu na oru Ohaneze wu i hu na ndi Igbo (nde Biafra) ga na aga na ala ndi ozo ndi Nigeria ga na emere ha enyi, na ario ha ka ha biri na udo.na ime Nigeria.

Biko unu, nde Biafra: gwa a unu anyi, owu owughi ihe a ka nde Igbo na ndi Biafra na eme oge na ile na Nigeria ke mbge 1960? Professor Irukwu na ekwu na ihe Ohaneze na eme wu i me ka Nigeria di mma; na owu ndi Igbo na ndi Biafra ndi ozo ga eme ihe na ile aga a me ka Nigeria bu ru otu. Professor Irukwu na echefu na ndi Igbo na ndi Biafra eme e la karia onye obula ozo i ji hu na Nigeria wu ru otu ke mbge na ile. O chefu ru na o wu ndi Igbo-Biafra na emezi obodo ndi ozo na Nigeria oge na ile? Ma na obodo ndi ozo ndi a na eji ebge na mbgo na oku, na aku na uta na akwuachi ndi Igbo-Biafra ugwo maka ihe oma a na ile ndi Igbo-Biafra me re la ha na Nigeria. Anyi eme chala ihe oma ndi a na ile, ma ndi Nigeria na egbu anyi, na emebgu anyi, ma obu na a la ndi ozo ma obu na ime ala nke anyi, na ala Biafra. Professor Irukwu cho ro one-Nigeria; ya ga wa ebe ahu. Ihe anyi na acho ighota ugbu a wu ma otu Ohaneze kwu Professor Irukwu na azu; o wu ru na Ohaneze kwadoro ihe Professor Irukwu kwu ru, anyi agaghi agbahara Ohaneze ozo.

Ndi Biafra: onye enye kwala Professor Irukwu ugwu ma o bu nsopuru ozo si te ta ta. O wuru na anyi a choputa na Ohaneze si Professor Irukwu kwu e ihe okwuru, anyi ga asi Ohaneze na o nweghi ike ikwu tara ma obu i nochitara anya ndi Igbo ma obu ndi Biafra ozo.  Anyi a gaghi enwe ntukwasi obi na Ohaneze ma obu na Professor Irukwu ozo. Professor Irukwu wu onye otu Obasanjo; ihe ya na ha na acho wu one-Nigeria. Ihiere  kwe siri ime Professor Irukwu ma ka o mara la ihe ojo ndi Nigeria na eme ndi Biafra oge na ile, mara kwa na ndi Biafra agbali a la ike ha oge na ile ime udo na Nigeria, mara kwa na ugwo oru ndi Nigeira kwuru ndi Biafra wu mbgegbu na mmekpa ahu na onwu ndi Biafra.

Ndi Biafra: na oge nke ugbu a, onye me e ndi Biafra ihe ojo, ndi Biafra ga emesi ya ike  Anyi agaghi a kwado onye ahu ma obu otu ha; anyi agaghi ekwe ka ha bata na otu Biafra; anyi agaghi enye ha na otu ha nsopuru ma obu ugwu. Ndi ahu na ndi otu ha bu ndi iro Biafra; otu a ka anyi na ha ga na emekota—ka ndi iro—ma obula Ohaneze. Owu ru na gi hu Professor Irukwu, atupuru la ya onu; kama tuaria ihu, vu o asu na ala.

Onye obula, onye Biafra di na obi ya, anyi na ario gi ka gi na akwado MASSOB/BLF, na Biafra Foundation (BF) na Biafra Actualization Forum (BAF), na otu ndi ozo ndi choro so o so Biafra. Biko unu, nye e otu ndi a na ile nkwado na enyemaka maka ha ga azotara anyi Biafra.

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.