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

For December 4^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: This is prophecy and promise that will be fulfilled in our time.

Before we start this week, we shall address Obasanjo’s recent visit to Biafraland. The news media carried reports of governors “crying” for help and “begging” Obasanjo for this or that intervention: typical, predictable beggarly, sycophantic and foolish slave-behavior.  If you go to Ota farm and you have no money to buy Obasanjo’s chicken, then, you can, and should beg the man for a chicken if you want one.  On the other hand, if the farm already has your money, you go in and ask for your money’s worth of chicken. You don’t beg Obasanjo! You don’t cry to Obasanjo for a chicken! You ask for what is due you. Everyday, our so-called leaders and our people debase themselves and kneel for Obasanjo, and cry to him and beg him for this or that, for things that are in fact the right and privilege of the people, and of which, duty and fairness command Obasanjo to provide (when that is in his job-description), or demand that whosesoever role it is should provide it for the people. Else, answer to the people through popular sanctions or legal action.

Obasanjo, on his part, loves all the adulation, like a true egomaniac. But, he has no love for being truthful. Remember the Onitsha Road—how he promised in 2002 just prior to the elections, as part of Iwuanyanwu-Obasanjo coup designed to enthrone him at all costs as the president? Well, where is that road today? First, Obasanjo’s kinsman, whom he put in charge, tries to blame Igbo-Biafran engineers for the failure of the road project. Then, the same man acknowledges later that there is now a problem with the contractors, but rather than focus on moving forward and getting the project accomplished, he, by his own admission, has a different priority—to manage the failure, that is, accept his losses and stop there, instead of move the project forward. Truly amazing, isn’t it? But that was not the end of the story. Today, he and Obasanjo have said it might take up to 10 years to complete this road—and at that, only if the Southeastern members of the National Assembly support Obasanjo in his fuel-tax increase which was already unanimously rejected by the people, overwhelmingly rejected by the National Assembly, and turned down by the courts. Imagine that now, Obasanjo wants to link this already failed tax policy to the Onitsha Road project, and to explicit support by Igbo-Biafran legislators for his anti-people policy?

If Obasanjo did not deliver, and has no intentions of delivering, on the Onitsha Road project, what makes you think he will deliver on any promise for anything of importance in Biafraland; and for that matter, something as important as having even one federal educational institution in Igboland-Biafraland? Anyone who starts the usual wail of praises for Obasanjo on account of this should be committed to a mental asylum.  Obasanjo never delivers on anything to Biafra—except malevolence.

Hear what the media reported : “…Obasanjo [who] said the beggarly action and inaction of the Houses of Assembly have not helped state governments to be accountable.

He [Obasanjo] accused them of behaving as though they were brought from the pit. The President alluded to the fact that the lawmakers have the constitutional obligation to call an erring executive to order, saying it had become imperative for them to stand up and do what was right...”

Just in case you missed it, Obasanjo is presenting and delivering his future defense now: he is going to blame the sycophants, the beggars, the slaves and the weepers for the woes of Nigeria, the failures of governance and for what is going to befall Nigeria in not-too-distant future, based on their spinelessness and reptilian cowardice.  You see, by this statement, even Obasanjo himself understands and “accepts” our short parable at the beginning of this analysis about begging for chicken at his Ota farm.  But wait a minute: Obasanjo understand, yes, maybe; accept—no way.

Remember when the so-called “lawmakers” in the National Assembly tried on so many occasions to exercise that “constitutional obligation to call an erring executive [in these instances, president Obasanjo] to order”? What happened? Obasanjo hazed, bullied, sabotaged and threatened them and bribed the rest into submission; else, he got what he wanted anyway, by hook and by crook, though it was unconstitutional? Remember how many times Obasanjo tampered with the Senate presidency, a clear violation of constitutionally mandated “separation of powers”?  Can Obasanjo truly claim that his government today is accountable? If so, to whom? No wonder!

This, then, is one-Nigeria—THE PROBLEM. It is a structure that allows, empowers and sustains the likes of Obasanjo to mount lecture pulpits and barrage the peoples about good governance, constitutional obligations, corruption, transparency, but all the while, he / they are very busy committing the same crimes and worse, setting the bad examples and doing it with glee and with impunity. Either Obasanjo has a split-personality, or has senile cognitive problems wherein, proverbially and literally, his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing; or he is a hypocrite; or a pathologic liar, or worse still, just a plain cynical arrogant tyrant and dictator.

Oh yes, why should Obasanjo not sense trouble ahead for Nigeria? He cannot pretend any more, using the claim that peoples living in Nigeria “are the happiest people in the world.” So, what does he do about this imminent problem? He sets out to use the fear factor: he warns that Nigeria cannot have another civil war. “Civil war”?—his words! All we can say is that he better hope that it does not come to that, because everything which Obasanjo is doing today is only fuelling the chances that Obasanjo’s war against the peoples living in Nigeria will morph into a civil war in the not-too-distant future.  Forget about future civil war: the only war to be concerned about today is the one already going on now, the one Obasanjo is waging against Biafra in particular, and against the rest of the peoples living and suffering in Nigeria, in general. That’s what’s paralyzing and killing everyone today, except for Obasanjo and his minions who are definitely benefiting from the misery and anguish of the peoples. That’s what will one day soon, conflagrate into a total war—a class war—between the dying, oppressed, desperate masses on the one hand; and Obasanjo and his friends, on the other. Yet, Obasanjo pretends not to see his evil role in this, and wants to blame and scapegoat innocent people and groups instead.

Fellow Biafrans: Obasanjo said that the refrain for him is “one-Nigeria.” We say, the refrain for us is “Biafra.”  He can keep singing the decaying and moribund one-Nigeria song; we shall have no part in it; we shall have no part of it. Our only destiny and rendezvous is with Biafra; and in glory, all the instruments of our individual and collective being peal out the name, Biafra; Biafra!

Now, what shall we do? The enemy has even recruited some Judases among us to sell us out and turn in our names. These Judases and their masters are truly shortsighted and ignorant: if only they knew their history, they would understand that wherever this technique has been used, that system has eventually failed—always. So, by deploying this tactic, they have already confirmed their failure.

Nevertheless, this is not time to cower or hide in the bushes; nor is it time for folks to keep quiet, nor even to speak out just individually. We must all come out together—as one; we must all speak out together, as one, and we must speak up, all together—as one. If a thousand Igbo-Biafrans stand up and together walk to the compound of a Judas and tell him in just plain words, “Enough!” that will effect a change of mind and behavior. If a thousand of us ask any enemy-formation or presence, “What have we done wrong by trying to survive like normal human beings?” that will have a definite impact. It is time for numbers to work in our favor. If we do this struggle individually, the enemy will cut us down and off and out quite easily; and pick us off easily. But, when we rely on our numbers and move and act as a mass of people of one mind, then, we are formidable.

Fellow Biafrans: no action—not even the right action—is without consequence. At a certain stage in the struggle of India for independence, for example, hundreds of unarmed Indian men, women and children who were exercising their right of existence in a gathering were targeted and deliberately shot dead and many more wounded by soldiers of then colonial British occupation. It is said that had the murderous soldiers not run out of ammunition, they would have killed or injured all the unarmed thousands of Indians gathered there for the event. Historians mark that incident as the day that the British were finished in India. We remind you of this because the price to pay for mass action (or even individual action of this kind) is truly harsh—imprisonment, isolation, torture, injury, maiming, and violent death.  But we don’t have to reach into history and into distance to search out examples: our own MASSOB has received this same terrible treatment at the hands of Obasanjo’s marauders otherwise known as police and security agents. This danger is, therefore, real, personified, and definitely present. Although clearly unarmed and using only moral authority and moral suasion, human imperative and collective civil will, we can still, and will, be attacked by armed and paid Nigerian agents in uniform and out of uniform, by those whose intent and design is to kill us.

Freedom is not free: it has never been. If this consideration is enough to stop you, then, you are not ready—at least, as of today—and there is no blame or shame. For those who are ready, let us find and use all the ways and means available to us, first to come together in huge groups and masses and learn to act as one body, with one mind, mindful of the price, mindful of our prize: freedom at last—Biafra.  MASSOB is already leading the way and showing the example in this area. On August 26, we showed what the result can be. What then and what more are we waiting for? Let not one of us be molested or arrested any longer without the entire mass of us coming out and asking why and wherefore? and supporting the one, all the way.  Let not another MASSOB member or members be arrested or detained without the entire community coming out together and asking, why? and the entire community throwing its weight to protect him or her or them, and providing support for him or her or them.

Fellow Biafrans, resolve, and prepare. Re-dedicate yourselves. Find your mettle. “Igwe bu ike!” our people say, and not for nothing.

Biafra alive! Because that’s how God intends it; God also intends for Biafrans to live—as Biafrans—in that land. Now, will you do your part?

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 e kele e unu.

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

Na mbido, anyi na e wetara unu okwu si na onu Chineke anyi na a si na Ya a gaghi e kwe ka okike Ya, nke unu dum bu, la na iyi site na ighi ihe ojo o ahu a na a kpo Nigeria. Chineke na e kwu si na Nigeria ga a nwu, ma na okike nke Chineke, nke bu unu dum, ga a di ndu, ma na e ri kwa ndu, bie kwa ogologo ndu. Nde Biafra: Okwu a wu nkwa nke ga e mezu.

Akuko newpaper na a si na Obasanjo bia ra na ala Biafra; nke  mere ka ndi si na ha na edu na na a chi Ndigbo e bido na e be akwa, na a rio Obasanjo aririo ka o mee ihe nke a ma obu nke ozo. Ndi ezigbo iberibe ka ha wu! Kama ha ga a gwa Obasanjo ihe ruru omume, ha na a rio aririo ka nde ohu ma o wu ka umu aka.

Kedu ihe Obasanjo na onwe ya kwerela ha na nkwa nke o mezuru mbu? Cheta kwa unu ihe gbasara uzo Onitsha, otu Obasanjo jiri kwee nkwa na ya ga a ruzi ya na afo 2002. Ugbua, uzo ahu ka di kwa oke njo; Obasanjo e kwuela na o nwere ike afo iri a gaa tupu a ruzie uzo a. Onye owula na a ja Obasanjo ajija taa maka nkwa o kwere Ndigbo wu ezigbo ewu; onye ahu kwesiri i chere, lee kwanu ma Obasanjo o ga e me ihe o kwuru.

Obasanjo na a bara ndi na a kpo onwe ha ndi govment na a nochite Oha na ala Biafra mba na a si na ike a dighi ha i gwa ndi ochichi mgbe ndi ochichi dara iwu. Ma Obasanjo na onwe ya na a da iwu oge na ile, ma o naghi e kwe, ma o wu choo, ka ndi National Assembly gwa ya na ya wu Obasanjo dara iwu. Kama, ya wu Obasanjo gaa na eme ihe soro ya! Ugbua, ya a na a tu nde ozo aka.

Otu a ka Obasanjo jiri na a si na ya choro one-Nigeria; ma anyi na a gwa ya na anyi choro Biafra—so o so Biafra.  O wu maka otu Obasanjo si a kpa agwa ka anyi jiri mara na so o so i cho Biafra, na nweta Biafra, wu ihe ga a diri anyi mma.

Ma anyi ga a gbali sie ike inweta Biafra. Otu anyi ga esi e me ya wu ma anyi gbakoro nwe e otu obi me e ihe na igwe—ka oha; otu anyi si ri me e na August 26.  Ndi Igbo-Biafra na a si na “Igwe bu ike.” Anyi ga a cho uzo na ile anyi ga e nwe ike i ji bia, na na a ga, na igwe, wu ru igwe, me e ihe na igwe. O wuru na igwe mmadu ga a na obiri onye efulefu-Judas ga gwa ya ka o kwusi ihe aru o na eme, onye aru ahu ga e ge nti. O wuru na igwe mmadu puta na ama ju o ihe mere e ji na a nwuru nde Biafra ma o wu nde MASSOB, nde ahu na e me ihe aru a ga e che echiche tupu ha me e otua ozo.

Ma mara kwa unu na Obasanjo na ndi otu ya na ndi Nigeria ga a gba anyi egbe, gbagbuo ndi mmadu, meruo kwa anyi ahu, ma o wu tinye anyi na nkporo, na o nweghi ihe anyi mere karia na anyi no na igwe. Anyi a hula na o wu otua ka ha mere ndi MASSOB.  Ma nke a a kwusighi ndi MASSOB na oru oma ha na a ru. Nke a mere ka anyi ga e je ndi MASSOB ejije mgbe anyi na eme ihe gbasara “igwe bu ike.” Ndi oke ujo na a tu nwere ike a batalaghi na igwe a na oge nke ugbua.

Ndi Biafra: o wu Chineke na onwe ya ke re ala Biafra, ke e kwa ndi Biafra, tinye ha na ala Biafra.  Ka anyi wu nde Biafra me e otu ike nke mmadu ha anyi.

Biafra, ndu gi! Biafra, ndu gi!! Biafra, ndu gi!!! Ma ka Chineke no nyere la gi!

Ndewo unu!