This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts
For April 16th, 2005
You have heard the news; now, the analysis…
Let us visit a rare case of honesty today wherein a Northern leader reminded his people that their problems are due to known differences in culture and religion between the Southern part and Northern part of Nigeria. The South embraced Christianity and Western-style education and culture, while the North embraced Islam and the Arabic culture. The reality of what is called Nigeria today is that, like many “trying-to-be-progressive” countries (and other truly “progressive” countries), Nigeria is Western-oriented rather than Arabic-oriented. Therefore, in any interaction whose outcome depends on such acculturation and bent, naturally, the South will do better, and hence, appear to be favored.
The point is not to argue the merits or lack thereof—pros and cons—of Western versus Arabic cultures. The point is the honesty and the clarity this Northern leader’s analysis brings to bear on the sick union called Nigeria. If the North wants to solve both its perceived and truly substantive problems in, with and against Nigeria, then, the North needs to form its own sovereign Muslim Nation, independent of Nigeria. It is really unfortunate that the Northern leader who clarified this issue failed to understand the true solution, but instead advocated, in so many words, that the North continue to stay in one-Nigeria—and do so in peace with the South, without stirring problems?
The Northern leader of reference reminded his fellow-Northerners that for 30 years, Northerners ruled Nigeria (with the implications of nepotistic and preferential transfer of wealth and infrastructure to the North, and monopoly of power); yet, the condition of the North did not improve, and has actually degenerated today. He correctly attributed this to the disparity imposed by the basic cultural and religious differences mentioned earlier. However, he failed to press the final logical argument:
the Muslim North will always remain Muslim and Arabic-oriented;
the South will always remain Christian and Western-oriented;
in which case,
the disparity will remain and most likely widen;
therefore,
there is in fact no equitable and or easy future for the Muslim Northern in Nigeria.
Rather, he castigated his brethren for “fanning embers of disunity among the citizens” [of Nigeria]; and accused them of actions that were “…"mischievous and inciting and could ultimately divide the country along religious and ethnic lines."…”
The latter are precisely the points and the logical results of the problems which the Northern leader has so clearly analyzed, while at the same time—and unfortunately, failing in his prescription for a real solution. These points and results are that
In fact, what is really needed to solve the problem of Nigeria (and the Muslim Northern problem, by extension), is a formal recognition of the pre-existing division of Nigeria into constituent ethnic nations which have been erstwhile unsuccessfully forced together.
Here is the ongoing danger. As long as the Muslim North remain in the current “Nigeria-arrangement,” an Arabic-style culture competing with a Southern Christian-Western-style culture in a “Western-oriented space,” the disparity which the Northern Muslim leader of reference refers to as “lopsidedness” will always stare the former in the face. Every so often, the Muslim North will, in their angst, explode in protest, using the most effective and most ferocious attention-getter and leveler—violence. We have seen this all along in Nigeria; the violence is frequent, not rare. Forced, violent Islamization of the rest of the South is an option which has already been tried; it worked in some fashion in the Southwest, but further success is no longer feasible. Hence, all that is left now, it appears is violence—“jihad” of one form or the other against the South.
We want to use the opportunity of this clarity to ask the Muslim North to form their own sovereign and independent country. We in the South/East have already formed ours—Biafra. The South/West also already have their own nation ready for declaration of sovereignty at a moment’s notice. Other cohesive nations are also ready to form and announce their own independence. As separate and independent countries, living respectively in our own uncontested national space, we can all coexist with cooperation and mutual respect and in peace.
Let us reiterate that one-Nigeria has not helped Muslim North before: it will not in the future, and it will in fact, never. There are only a miserly few who benefit from keeping Nigeria one: it certainly is not the great majority of the peoples. Keeping Nigeria one does not benefit the Muslim, nor the Christian, for that matter, considering how the Christians in Nigeria are always nervous and anxious and fearful, in anticipation of the next Muslim attack, which we know will certainly come—again and again.
Muslim North killing the Christians and vice versa will never reverse the lopsidedness and disparity that is a fact of Nigeria. Forcing Nigeria to remain one, by pressure or intimidation or even force of arms, will not change the situation, but will only prolong the created misery for the common peoples, while so-called “leaders” and fraudsters and opportunists such as Obasanjo grab power and indulge in unimaginable and detestable corruption, something considered sinful and forbidden by both Islam and Christianity. So, trying to save one-Nigeria can only mean working to benefit Obasanjo and his ilk, his cronies and his fellow-elite. The only solution is separate, independent, sovereign nations working out their own cultural and religious fulfillment, while cooperating as neighboring nations of human beings.
If the Muslim North want to sack Obasanjo’s government, that administration certainly deserves to be sacked—along with Obasanjo himself—and we have no issues with that, especially since it is he and his government and friends who want to perpetuate one-Nigeria, in order to benefit from it while the ordinary masses suffer and perish. But, if the Muslim North want to remedy fundamental issues and problems facing them, insisting on one-Nigeria defeats the purpose and goal: actualizing their own sovereign nation, independent of Nigeria, is the only key.
Therefore, we of Biafra invite you of Muslim Northern Nigeria for talks and negotiations ratifying our different sovereignties, a political and diplomatic solution which acknowledges, recognizes and respects our own different cultures and religions; and to define areas of cooperation and create mutual opportunities for the benefit of all.
Biafra will never again pretend not to know what the real problem of Nigeria is; as such, Biafra is taking the only correct action in the light of this knowledge, by executing a Biafra actualization agenda. We trust that Muslim Northern Nigeria will face the same problem with the clarity thus elucidated by one of their own, and apply the only viable solution which is the formation of their own sovereign nation independent of Nigeria. Regardless of what the North or any other group or institutions or persons do, Biafra is for us; Biafra is both our destiny and our existence and we act as such: Biafra, Biafrans.
Biafra alive! Because God Who created Biafra and Biafrans is a Living God.
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), now with the summary of the News Analysis in Igbo language.
Ndi Biafra, ekele e o-o! Anyi e kelee 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.
Otu nwoke, otu na ime ndi isi ndi Awusa kwuru okwu di mkpa ebe o na a kowara ndi Awusa ndi ibe ya ihe mere o jiri diri ka a na a megbu ndi Awusa e megbu na ime Nigeria taa. O na a gwa ha si na ebe ha wu ndi Awusa wu ndi Alakoba na e kpere Islam, nke mere ka ome-na-ala ha, na omume ha, na ndu ha di ka nke ndi Arabic, nkea mere ka ha puo iche na ime Nigeria ebe ndi ozo na e pke Jesu Kristi (Christians), na omume ha wu ndi ozo a di ka omume ndi ocha-ndi bekee ndi Christians. Ebe Nigeria na e so uzo ndi ocha-ndi bekee-ndi Christians, otu ndi British jiri me e Nigeria na hapu kwa ya otua ahu, o ga a ra ahu ka ndi Alakoba-ndi Awusa na ndi Christian bi na Nigeria hara otu na oke ihe gbasara govument.
Odi mpka ka anyi tuagharia okwu ya, wee me e ka ndi Awusa ghota isi okwu a; nke wu na o nweghi otu e siri me ya ka ndi Alakoba na ndi Christian hara otu na oke ha ga e keta na govument Nigeria maka govument na ndi bi na ime Nigeria na eso uzo ndi bekee-ndi-ocha ndi Christian, nke a wughi uzo ndi Arabic. Odi oke mkpa ka ndi Awusa ghota ihe onye isi ha ya na e kwu, ghota kwa na a tuaria okwu ya, anyi na a si ha na so o so otu ndu ha wu nde Awusa ga a bara ha uru wu, ma o wu ha a hu oga-nihu, wu ma ha wu ndi Awusa hapu Nigeria gawara ala nke ha, otu ndi Biafra si na a cho iputa na ime Nigeria gawara obodo nke anyi wu Biafra.
Anyi na a gwa ndi Ugwu ndi Alakoba ndi Awusa na o masi kwa ha, ha kugbuo onye o wula, ma o wu lusi onye o wula ogu na ime Nigeria; ma nkea e nweghi ike i gbanwe ihe o wula: Nigeria ga na e so uzo ndi ocha-ndi Christian; ma ha wu ndi Awusa ga kwa na e so uzo ndi Islam ndi Arabic: ihe abuo a ga e me ya ka oke ndi Awusa na govument na ihe ndi ozo na a ga na ime Nigeria a haraghi la otu. Ihe nkea na a gwa ndi Awusa wu na ha kwesiri i ga choro obodo nke ha ebe ha ga ebi na onwe ha ka ndi Islam ndi Arabic—nkea e nweghi ike ime ma ha noro na ime Nigeria.
Anyi ji zi na ihi nkea na a kpo ndi Awusa ndi Alakoba ndi Ugwu ka ha chebara echiche na ihe ndia na ile, were ure ha ree eze ha, were otua ka anyi na ha gaa nzuko ebe anyi na ha ga a kwado Obodo Biafra, na kwado kwa Obodo nke ha, Obodo ndia na ile wuru Obodo di ichie-iche, Obodo noro onwe ha, na a noghi na ime Nigeria. Na nzuko a, anyi na ha ga e kwekorita na ihe gbasara ihe ndi ozo nke anyi na ha ga e nweko omume—ihe di ka i zu ahia na ihe ndi ozo di otua.
Anyi na e che na ndi Ugwu Awusa ga a ghota ihe a, otu onye isi ha kwuru, ghota kwa na mgbe ha na a kwado one-Nigeria, o wu mgbe ahu ka ha kwado kwara mmegbu nke ha; ma na mgbe ha puoro na ime Nigeria, mgbe ahu ka ha ga a hu uzo gawara ebe ihe ga e nwere ha isi. Anyi wu ndi Biafra di mbu ghota ihe aru na ihe ojoo wu Nigeria; maka nkea ka anyi ji na a cho Biafra na oge na ile, ka anyi nweta Obodo anyi Biafra, ebe anyi ga a ga biri, hafu aru ahu a na a kpo Nigeria. Chineke kere Biafra me e anyi nde Biafra: otu a ka o di na mbu; otua ka o di ugbua; otua ka o ga a digide.
Biafra, ndu gi! Biafra, ndu gi!! Biafra, ndu gi!!! Ma ka Chineke nonyere la gi!
Ndewo unu!
Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues
Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
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