This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts
For June 11th, 2005
You have heard the news; now, the analysis…
Fellow Biafrans: isn’t it rather interesting and intriguing that, while Obasanjo and his Nigeria are trying to change the constitution of Nigeria to remove Igbo language as one of the official Nigerian languages, the Biafran currency is not only in circulation, but is in fact legal tender in some locales in West Africa; and at that, the Biafran pound is worth almost 300 times more than the Naira? Well, as Jimmy Cliff once sang:
“...the harder they come, the harder they fall…what’d I know…”
The harder Obasanjo and Nigeria come after Igbo-Biafrans, the harder they will fall: we don’t even have to know how or why they fall, any longer. Our God has taken over; He will continue to work in mysterious ways. Sure, Obasanjo and Nigeria will now respond by dispatching their henchmen to intimidate, harass, threaten and insult the sovereign governments in those West African countries where the Biafra currency is in use. Then, he will send them to assault the Igbo and other Biafrans, to persecute them, even outside of Nigerian borders. When he and his paid murderers are done, they will congratulate themselves: but not for long, because the Spirit of Biafra soon resurfaces in another form—stronger—one way or another, but unfailingly. Biafra will certainly have the last laugh.
Earlier, we told you that nothing good would come out of Obasanjo’s conference—the so-called National Political Reform Conference (NPRC); all that would come out of it is what Obasanjo already decided on. In case anyone still has doubts, hear Obasanjo speak as to what he will do with the report coming out of the NPRC:
· The report will go to him; it will not go to the National Assembly for discussion and approval (the latter already washed their hands off it, saying that it is an illegal conference and process). Nor will it go to the Senate.
· The report will be of an “Advisory nature,” in the sense that he and only he, Obasanjo, can act on the report, that is, do anything with it, to it, or about it.
· Obasanjo has already telegraphed his intent in this area: he will use the fact that the recommendations of the report came about through what he describes as “…more popularly done, than it would have been if you had left it with, maybe, a few hands…” to legitimize and validate whatever he wants to do with it.
While the selected delegates to the NPRC beat their chests and perform “high-fives” in self-congratulation and delusions for this arrant waste, and while numbed and bewildered ordinary peoples suffering and dying in Nigeria look on—helpless—Obasanjo will have executed his dictator’s coup, once again. What stops Obasanjo from changing every aspect of the report to suit his pre-fixed agenda? Nothing! And, let’s not just stop at the response, “Nothing!”; in fact, Obasanjo will ignore or change to his liking portions of the report which do not conform to his original agenda. Then he will implement the modified report—and he will claim that this is a “popular” mandate. As a matter of fact, Obasanjo will add things to that report that weren’t originally there, including, for example, things from the Obasanjo-draft constitution smuggled in but rejected by the conference. (Recall that it was the same draft constitution which specifically removed Igbo from one of the official Nigerian languages.)
If only Nigerians were smarter than their dictators! But in fact, they are; but you would never know it! Here, Obasanjo has also telegraphed the process for the selective implementation of whatever he likes of the report, plus whatever he wants to add to it. He says that he will:
· bypass traditional and usual checks-and-balances mechanisms called for in a democracy, and implement by executive policy, thus: “...President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday said he plans to…[and] enunciate policies which do not require legislative attention…”
Meaning:
· no input from the Senate.
· No input from the National Assembly.
· No input from the Judiciary.
· No input from the peoples suffering and dying in Nigeria. (Obasanjo will claim that the selected and handpicked delegates represent the peoples—conveniently forgetting that the method of selection had already been severely criticized, strongly decried and fully rejected by the polity even before the inception of the conference.)
Basically, the NPRC has given Obasanjo the excuse and validation he schemed for to implement his dictatorial policies and impose them on the hapless peoples suffering in Nigeria—and hence, “legitimacy”!
Recall, fellow Biafrans, that we warned about this right from the start. That is why we strongly recommended that Dim Ojukwu not attend. That is why we dissociated Biafra from the conference, and made sure that everyone knows that we would never send, and have not sent, any so-called delegates to represent Igbo and Biafra interests at such a conference. We knew, and hence predicted, that Obasanjo has his own agenda; and he will use the NPRC to validate and rubberstamp his agenda, and then justify its legitimacy and implementation. It is no consolation that we are right again: actually, it pains us a great deal.
Why does it pain us so much? Because, just as with the last rigging of the elections of 2003, the peoples suffering and dying in Nigeria will not do anything about this. Obasanjo got away with that broad daylight armed robbery of the peoples’ electoral process and mandate, and he still prances about today with impunity. So, Obasanjo will get away with this, too. That’s why we ask you: why live in “one” country as “one” country with any other peoples who are willing to continue to let this type of thing continue to happen, and who have no urge at all to challenge and stop it? Why even live in a “country”—any country at all—where the environment, society and politics are such as to permit this type of immoral occurrence and unconscionable experience?
Every living person associated with Nigeria has a moral duty to do something about this type of thing; and there again, not just “something”—not just anything—but, the correct thing. What we have done as a nation of Biafran people is to accept our sovereignty; and declare our independence from Nigeria; and to remove our destiny from the control of Nigeria, to assume direct responsibility of it by our own self, so that we can assert what we really are, something most definitely different from what Nigeria has become—what Nigeria is; something we have inherited through our creation by God Himself. We are Biafrans.
Now, we hear and see Enahoro organizing a conference of Ethnic Nations, the “original” Sovereign National Conference (SNC), of which we have said that we shall participate, as long as the basic agenda is the recognition and ratification of the sovereignty and independence of each ethnic nation, followed by negotiations on how to relate, one sovereign independent nation, with another. It is very important that Enahoro and the organizers of SNC do not follow the footsteps of pretenders, exploiters and those in denial—such as Obasanjo—who stipulate that Nigeria must still be one, as the endpoint of this type of conference. The fact that Enahoro was even tempted and even hesitated before turning down the invitation by Obasanjo to chair Obasanjo’s NPRC is disturbing. Enahoro has a record for which we understand that he had earlier apologized. During the Biafra War, Enahoro was making rounds defending the use of starvation by Nigeria against the entire Biafran civilian population, as a “legitimate instrument of war.” We do not know what is in Enahoro’s heart: whether he apologized for this human rights infraction and cruel offense, for his direct victimization of the people of Biafra, or for the fact that he helped force on together and defend this evil called Nigeria when she had fallen apart, and which evil has since then been devouring the entire Nigeria, but is also especially directed against the Igbo-Biafrans. But, if Enahoro in any way insinuates or insists on one-Nigeria as the outcome of this Sovereign National Conference, then, his apology will be meaningless; he will have continued down the abyss, though falling in a different path than that which all his contemporaries and predecessors took us through. If in fact that is the case, then, we Biafrans will have absolutely nothing to do with SNC, either. We Biafrans will continue on our own path to Biafra actualization, leading to sovereignty and independence of Biafra.
The writing on the wall is quite clear: Nigeria can separate into its erstwhile forced constituent nations, in a controlled and civil manner, like the Soviet Union; or it will implode and or explode, just like Yugoslavia. Either way, Nigeria shall separate. God help us all—all peoples presently suffering and dying in Nigeria—if He has left the mechanism of separation in all of our hands. We Biafrans are pursuing a non-violent process, although we are paying a heavy price with our own sweat, blood and tears. God give us courage, wisdom, strength and endurance.
Biafra alive!
Biafra alive!
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 wu akuko nke anyi na a kpo News Analysis si na Voice of Biafra International Radio, di na Washington DC, na ala America, na a bia ra unu na abali a.
Na izu ya, anyi na ha a huna oru aka Chineke anyi, nke o na a ru na isi anyi. O nweghi “onye ma otu mmiri jiri baa na opi ugboguru.” Ihe anyi ma wu na o nwere ndi mmadu na eji ego Biafra na a zu ahia na obodo ha—na a wughi obodo Nigeria. Anyi na a ghota na ego Biafra ya ka ego Nigeria mma, ka kwa ya na i da-onu, ebe otu “pound” Biafra nyere ihe dika ogu-Naira-iri-na ise (300 Niara)! Nke a wu zi nke na e nye Obasanjo na ndi otu ya isi-mgbahari na izu nke a. Cheta kwa na na izu nke gara aga, o wu ngahari-iwe umu Biafra gara na uwa na ile wu ihe nyere ha wu Obasanjo na ndi otu ha oku-isi. A si na Obasanjo na ndi otu ha wu nde nwere ako, nde nwere ogugu-isi, mma ha a ghota la na o wu Chineke anyi—Chineke Biafra—ka ha na a lusi ogu. O nweghi nu otu ekwensu—Obasanjo na ndi otu ha—ga e si e meri Chineke na nde Chineke kwuu na azu, ndi Chineke na a luru ogu: Biafra na umu Biafra. O wu ihe mere e ji a kpo ya: “Ogu Chi A Lu”—ogu Chi anyi na a luru anyi.
Cheta kwa unu ihe anyi gwara ndi mmadu gbasara nzuko ojoo nke Obasanjo kporo (National Political Reform Conference), na Obasanjo ga e ji ya ghogbue ndi mmadu nde bi, na ndi na a ta aghughu na ime Nigeria? Ugbua, Obasanjo e bido la i kwu otu yanwa ga e si e me zu ihe a anyi kwuru na mbu. Obasanjo si na mgbe ndi nzuko ya nyere ya akwukwo a na a kpo “Report,” nke wu ebe e dere ihe e metara, na ihe e kwekoritara, na nzukoo ojoo ya ahu, na ya wu Obasanjo ga e ji zie aka ya were ihe soro ya na ime Report ahu, were ya me otu o siri so ya na obi nke ya. Obasanjo si na ihe ndi ufodu ya ga e ji Report ya me e, na o nweghi kwaa nu ihe ozo a ga a kpaa zi a kpa: o wu naani ihe ya wu Obasanjo kwuru ka a ga e me. Ndi National Assembly, ma o wu ndi Senate—ha e nweghi ike i tule ya. O nweghi onye ozo, ma owurugodu ndi Oha ndi mmadu bi na ime Nigeria—ha e nweghi ike i tinye onu na ihe Obasanjo ga e me. O wu kwa ihe anyi gwara unu a gwa, na o nweghi otu ihe di mma ga e si a puta na nzuko Obasanjo? O wu maka nke a ka anyi jiri gwa Dim Ojukwu si ya e je kwa la nzuko a; na otu aka ahu kwa, anyi kwuru na ndi Biafra a gaghi a ga nzuko ya, kwue kwa na o nweghi otu onye o wula gara nzuko ya ga e si e kwu na ya gara i nochita anya nde Biafra ma o wu i nochita anya ndi Igbo. Anyi ka di mbu hu aghugho Obasanjo na a kwado i gho ndi Nigeria na oge mbu ahu, tupu e bido nzuko a ebido.
Ma ihe wu kwa nu oke iwe na ihe a na ile wu na o nweghi ihe ndi Oha mmadu bi na Nigeria nwere ike i me maka ihe aru ndi a Obasanjo na e me. Kedu zie ka anyi na ndi di ka ndi Nigeria ga e ji e bi na ofu obodo ebe ndi mba ndi ozo a bi na Nigeria a naghi a puta kwuo na ihe di njo di njo, na o dighi mma otu Obasanjo si a chi; na omume Obasanjo a joka? Naani otu ihe wu ihe forola anyi ime: i si na Nigeria puoro onwe anyi, nke wu kwa nu ihe anyi na eme na i cho nweta Biafra. Anyi ga e nweta riri Biafra; i bi na ime Nigeria dika mmadu na ozu bi.
Otu anyi siri kwuo na oge gara a ga, o wuru na a kpoo ezigbo nzuko, ebe anyi ga a ga na aha Biafra, ka nde Biafra, ebe ndi mba ndi ozo ga a bia ka, ma ha wu ndi Obodo Yoruba—Odua, ma o wu Obodo nde Awusa—Arewa, ebe anyi na ile ga e kwekorita otu anyi ga e si e bi, otu mba na ndi mba ibe ya, na a wughi Nigeria ncha-ncha; anyi ga a ga ya wu nzuko nke di otua. Udi nzuko nke a a na a kpo Sovereign National Conference, (SNC) nke anyi kpaturi aka na oge gara aga. Anyi huru na nwoke a na a kpo Enahoro wu onye isi ndi SNC. Ma nwokem a—aka ya di na otu ndi Nigeria jiri unwu na aguu wee gbue ndi Biafra na oge ogu Biafra na Nigeria. Enahoro mechara bia chegharia na ihe ojoo o mere na mgbe ahu. Anyi ga e jizi ihe SNC ya mara maka ncheghari Enahoro, mara ma o ghotara na o wu i cho, na i ji ike, i me Nigeria ka o wuru otu wu ihe butere ihe ojoo na ile ndi ya. Ya wu Enahoro ghota ihe a, o gaghi a cho ka SNC wuru nzuko i ji i do be Nigeria ka o wuru otu, di ka nzuko ojoo Obasanjo. Enahoro kwesiri i mara na oge a na o wu naani nkewa Nigeria wu “ogwu ga a gwo ihe na a ria Nigeria” na ndi dum e jiri ike me ka ha biri na ime ya. Ma Enahoro o ghotara, ma o wu o ghotaghi, nke ahu wu okwu aka ya; Biafra ka anyi choro, Biafra ka anyi ga e nweta; Biafra wu nke anyi. SNC kwere otua, anyi a gaa; ma o kweghi, o nweghi nzuko anyi na a ga. Chineke e keele anyi me anyi ndi Biafra, kee kwara anyi Biafra. O nweghi onye anyi na ya ga a bia zi ugbua zo wa Biafra na azizo.
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)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
transmitting on 7380 kHz (on 41 meter band)
at 2100 - 2200 Hours UTC (Universal Time [Coordinated])
equivalent to 10.00pm - 11.00pm Biafraland time
every Saturday and every Wednesday..
A project of Biafra Foundation (BF) and Biafra Actualization Forum (BAF)