This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International broadcasts
For September 11th, 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, if you still want to doubt the Word and the Work of God, go ahead!
Allow us to go straight to all the talk by Nigerian high officials of charging MASSOB with treason. First, we want to make clear for those who are hard of hearing and for those who refuse to face the facts and the reality, which is that all Biafrans--every single one of them--are part and parcel of the Divine and human Movement, dynamics and momentum to actualize Biafra as a Sovereign Nation. The right of Self Determination is a human right recognized and enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
On August 26, in that very act that has now frightened and alarmed General Obasanjo's fraudulently installed administration, the approximately 40 million or so Biafrans (to every single last person) made that point--the point of their Biafra-ness very, very clear. Charge MASSOB with treason, and you charge 40 million Biafrans with treason, too. Hold your Kangaroo Court and convict 40 million Biafrans of treason, but each of the 40 million Biafrans will always hold his or head high, from the unborn Biafrans and those in their mothers' wombs to the old and greying Biafrans and those transitioning to the after-life. We are Biafrans, and nothing Nigerian will change that fact that we are Biafrans, no matter what Nigeria now unleashes on us.
On August 26 the mettle of Biafra was reawakened and tested--and tested successfully. We restored our dignity on that day, and we will never again yield our dignity to any systems or to any persons or personalities. Our right to self-determinism is a divinely mandated universal right.
Second, let us visit those who have made public statements charging MASSOB with "Treason." Ordinarily, we would not waste time on the so-called Attorney General of Nigeria because he has proven the incorrigibility of his actions or lack thereof. Today, however, by his being a mouthpiece for, and fabricating pseudo-legal support for, General Obasanjo's well-known anti-people policies, manifesting this time as the plan to try MASSOB for treason, we should not ignore his abysmal legal record in that office. The so-called Attorney General of Nigeria has been used to place a legal rubberstamp on General Obasanjo's private and personal decisions and acts, many of which are frankly unconstitutional and or criminal. Lady Justice weeps today to see what travesty has been fomented by the misuse and abuse of the authority of an attorney, worst of all, the authority of an Attorney General of a so-called country.
Then, there is the Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku, talking about charging MASSOB with treason, with the insinuation that this is based on some kind of defense of Democracy in Nigeria? We can start from the recent beginning--say, the year 2003 when the elections were held in Nigeria. By rigging the elections and fixing the results in broad daylight, Atiku, Obasanjo and PDP slaughtered Democracy. Did anyone charge them with treason? Did they not go as far as taking over even the Justice system in Nigeria, making their own laws of expediency, and interpreting laws liberally and expediently to suit their own purposes and in their own favor: is that not treason? All those times General Obasanjo has gone against the constitution of Nigeria, has anyone charged him with treason: hello, Mr. Attorney General of Nigeria: are you listening?
Now, look at the other side. 40 million Biafrans on August 26 were unanimous in their call for, and response to, Biafra Actualization. Isn't this a true test of democracy—that the people of the nation of Biafra unanimously expressed their desire for their nation of Biafra to be actualized? And this is what Atiku refers to as "treason"? Of course, we know that General Obasanjo is behind all this, and we expect him and his administration to try to outdo themselves in their usual unimaginable brutality directed against the people of Biafra. Well, we are 40 million-strong today, and we shall overcome one man and his cabal, using sheer determination and popular stamina, no matter what he deploys.
Third, we see who come in defense of MASSOB against the trumped up charge of treason by Nigeria besides the 40 million Biafrans who spoke through August 26. A Yoruba attorney and one of the leaders of his Yoruba nation is one. Wada Nas, a Northerner and one of the Northern leaders, is another. They are not afraid to speak up and speak out against an immoral plan by Obasanjo and his henchmen. We admire their courage.
But contrast this and consider who have said nothing as of the time when this broadcast was prepared: Ohaneze, yes, Ohaneze--that one! Surprised? Not here at Voice of Biafra International--we are not in the least surprised. During several broadcasts in the past few weeks, we have pointed out to you that Joe Irukwu's leadership of Ohaneze and the continued membership and chairing of a committee by Iwuanyanwu spelled doom for Ohaneze, because this means that General Obasanjo's hand-picked boys are still running the show in Ohaneze. So, today, we Biafrans must turn our back on Ohaneze. If Ohaneze members repent, they can rejoin the fold of Biafra and participate in pro-Biafran organizations. If they insist on keeping Ohaneze alive so that their stipends from General Obasanjo continue to flow in, then, we, Biafra, can also ignore and forget the efulefu's.
Nor will you hear any word of protest by the other wayward so-called pan-Igbo organization in Diaspora called WIC--World Igbo Congress (but other more aptly descriptive words representing those initials have been used elsewhere). WIC recently concluded a bazaar of an event in New Jersey this past weekend without mentioning any subject that is important to the Igbo people, even though the party took place after August 26. Apparently, Nigeria, not Biafra, was and is still very much on the mind and agenda of WIC--what a shame! It would take another General, this time, Buhari, who was part of the unending cycle of military coups used to usurp power in Nigeria in the past, and to mow down and keep down the Igbo—yes, it took him to remind WIC of what was and what is on the mind of not just Biafrans today, but all of Nigeria, and any thinking and discerning person in the region. As an invited guest and speaker at WIC, Buhari craftily and carefully placed and dangled the promise of an Igbo presidency for Nigeria in 2007 in front of the Igbo audience, as a prize for the Igbo dropping the universally popular plan of actualization of Biafra, a plan currently in the execution phase by MASSOB, resulting in the recent stunning Biafra victory of August 26. Buhari came to the WIC meeting (keep in mind that neither Northerners nor Westerners for that matter ever invite Ndigbo to their own respective ethnic national meetings), to say that if only Ndigbo would drop their plan for Biafra actualization, the North--and by extension and implication--Nigeria, would promise to allow an Igbo as the next President of Nigeria come 2007. WIC had failed to understand the significance of Biafra actualization even after August 26 addressed that so completely and so eloquently. And how dense could WIC be, anyway? A few years ago, was it not Ralph Uwazurike of the same MASSOB who, while speaking at WIC, correctly surmised and advised those Igbo clamoring for Igbo Nigerian presidency (a goal which he himself did not and still does not share, being that sovereign Biafra is his uncompromising pursuit), that:: "...if you want Igbo Presidency, just mention Biafra..." This week, Buhari proved Uwazurike right.
Looking at the tactics employed by Buhari, one can see how worried he and the constituency he represents are, about Biafra actualization. In his speech (as reported) Buhari did not just lavish praise on the Igbo and their legendary (over)achievement in Nigeria, as much as he was admitting and speaking the truth, finally, about these natters. This is good stuff for our young people to hear at this late hour. As for the rest of us, Buhari did not tell us anything new about our Igbo-ness. And, consider that in spite of his knowledge of the superb skills, unmatched industry and unequalled contribution of Ndigbo to both the wealth, welfare, and "unity" of Nigeria, during his own military administration, did he not do everything possible to marginalize, oppress, suppress and torment Ndigbo? Yet, today, he will say these nice things about Ndigbo to Ndigbo just so that he can lure them away from the plan of Biafra actualization. Of course, he has failed; he has failed indeed, and August 26 proves that.
But how can we, on our part, fail to mention that it is precisely these same fabulous qualities of Ndigbo now being admitted, acknowledged and even touted by Buhari himself that have brought Ndigbo hatred, constant bloody attacks, enslavement, ostracism, and unjustified opposition by a jealous and envious Nigeria who feels threatened because it is not able to compete? Fellow Biafrans, the fact remains that anything which Ndigbo, while still being relegated to the status of slaves in Nigeria, have done well for Nigeria (and that's everything, by the way, even by Buhari's own admission), CAN BE IMPROVED ON BY A FACTOR OF 1000% by Ndigbo with Biafran Citizenship, not just for the nation of Biafra, but also, for the rest of the nations of the world, including what will be left of Nigeria. Biafran Citizenship automatically confers on us the same diplomatic protection dictated and demanded by International laws, which protection is enjoyed by all those whom we refer to as "expatriates" or foreign nationals working in countries other than their own. Does Buhari really think that we won't figure this out, or that we haven't figured it out already?
Fellow Biafrans: only Biafra can solve our problems. Those problems are truly of existential proportions. Even our enemies know our worth and our capabilities (often more so than we ourselves do), but they, our enemies, want to keep us as slaves in Nigeria, so that they can continue to exploit us and prevent us from reaping the joy of the fruits of our efforts. On top of all that, they kill us for sport, dispossess us at will, and humiliate us just for the fun of it. MASSOB and its leadership have spearheaded the effort to actualize Biafra for all of us, to rescue us from under the bruising and choking burden of one-Nigerianism. On August 26, you told us that you are fully in support of Biafra actualization, fully in support of MASSOB and MASSOB leadership; that you are fully Biafran, and not Nigerian,. Most important of all, on August 26, you demonstrated that you will do your own part as Biafrans, even at great sacrifice to you, when called upon. Today, General Obasanjo's fraudulent government is planning to charge MASSOB with treason against Nigeria, at best a desperate and immoral act by a visionless cabal. We must all stand together; stand tall, so that General Obasanjo can understand that we, the people of Biafra, are in fact the Movement, the Force, the Momentum and the Dynamic, of the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. We are 40 million-strong, and Nigeria may try and convict 40 million cases of treason; but nothing, nothing, is going to stop the actualization of Biafra. Nothing can change our Biafra-ness. God is on our side, because by His own doing, He Himself, God, created Biafra, and Biafrans, and endowed us with so much. As such:
Biafra alive! Do your part. God is well-pleased in you.
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.
Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
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