March 25 2006

This is the News Analysis segment of the Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcasts

For March 25^th, 2006

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

Fellow Biafrans:

We thank you for completing the boycott of the Nigeria Census. You can already see the insincerity and motivation of Nigeria for designing such a fraudulent census. All those who participated in the boycott have made a clear statement: “We can not and will not be party to fraud, cheating and injustice: we refuse to be used to commit such travesty on our own selves. We are Biafrans: we will not be counted as Nigerians or undercounted as Nigerians.” We can only feel pity for those who, seeing how unjust the design of that census was— specifically skewed against the Igbo-Biafrans—still went ahead and participated in it. For any Igbo-Biafran to belong to such a group is inexplicable; as for Nigerians wanting to cheat the Igbo-Biafran, that is to be expected—always; that’s all Nigeria stands for: the exploitation, persecution, tormenting and humiliation of the Igbo-Biafran. We must also feel sorry for any Igbo-Biafran still identifying himself or herself with Nigeria, just as we would for a slave who clings to his master when he should be doing everything possible and using every opportunity to register a protest against his status, and to make waves and headway for his own liberation.

We know that even on its own, the Nigeria census is going to fail; Nigeria herself knows that. If in doubt, read the newspaper reports from the first couple of days of the census. That is why the Nigeria Police is falsely blaming MASSOB members, and unjustly, for physically and violently disrupting the faltering census exercise in certain Biafran cities. We all know that MASSOB is non-violent. You are also witness to the fact that our recommendation to you here for the boycott of the census is for you each to make your own self un-countable—unavailable for the count. We have not asked you to molest anyone else or to attack anyone to prevent them from being counted if they, in stupidity, so wish. In all our actions and recommendations, in the spirit of the very effective non-violence principle of the MASSOB agenda and practice, we have never recommended violence; and MASSOB has never resorted to violence. On the other hand, it is in fact only Nigeria and her agents who shoot to kill and maim MASSOB members, sometimes even shooting fleeing, innocent unarmed boys in the back; it is Nigeria and her agents who routinely dispossess MASSOB, extort money from them, destroy MASSOB property, arrest and jail MASSOB members indiscriminately, and kill MASSOB members in their custody. Therefore, we can only conclude, and correctly so, that such injustice meted to MASSOB and Biafrans continues with the current shaky Nigeria’s census exercise wherein the Nigeria Police lie and give obviously false information wrongly and knowingly, that MASSOB members are disrupting the census exercise with violence. It’s all lies and injustice—what Nigeria and the Nigeria Police are known for! This is not the first time the Nigeria Police have lied openly, knowingly and brazenly, about MASSOB.

The injustices against our people continue on another front. The leaders of MASSOB and quite a few other MASSOB members are currently in jail. Quite notably, Ralph Uwazurike, the head of MASSOB, Mazi Uchenna Madu, the MASSOB Director of Information; and the following: Vincent Ekwuazi, Arinze Igbani, Izuchukwu Izom and Uche Okwukwu, these being the latest addition to SSS’s dungeons; and others such as Chibuike Nwosu, Benedict Alakwem, Chimankpa Okorocha, Kelechi Ubabuike, Ambrose Anyaso and Augustine Ihuoma.

Finally, most, but not all, of these men captured and detained in the private dungeons of the SSS or the Nigeria Police have been brought to court on arraignment: they are all charged with Treason. However, over several futile court sessions, the issue of bail has not even been concluded, as one court adjournment follows another. What a travesty! But, that’s Nigeria for you. Remember that: that’s one of the reasons why we do not ever want to have anything to do with Nigeria. Biafra is built differently: Biafra will function differently.

What we are asking is for these men to be released unconditionally. To pursue the right and choice of self determination is a moral obligation given the relationship such as we found ourselves forced into as one-Nigeria; it (the pursuit of self determination) is the only thing to do if:

1) you want to live life, individually and collectively

2) you want to use and fulfill your God-given talents

3) you want to raise your family, and progress in life with decency

4) you want to live securely as a citizen of your own nation, both at home and outside the home country.

5) you want to live in freedom and liberty.

These are divinely mandated principles and obligations, the only hope, promise, incentive for, and only joy, of life. No one should be allowed to take these away from you; should that even happen, one must do everything possible to restore them. That is the essence of self determination. That’s what the MASSOB agenda is for our people who have in turn mandated MASSOB to execute this agenda. MASSOB’s principle is that of non-violence. In consideration of all this, Nigeria has no case against our brethren; be it legal, political, social or moral. Life’s imperative is to live: there is no crime in choosing and wanting to live instead of being squashed by a determined and relentless enemy. If there is a crime, it is allowing a whole nation of people, the Igbo and other Biafrans, to be throttled to extinction by Nigeria, to be reduced to dirt, dust and nonentity by Nigeria, for no other reason than that we are Igbo – Biafrans. Those of our brethren being held in Nigerian jails do not seek to be heroes: rather, they seek to be what God created them and their people, the way God created them. That is no crime. They should be released immediately. We hold Obasanjo responsible and accountable for their imprisonment and their fate while in Nigerian jails; we also hold him personally responsible to effect their release forthwith.

Fellow Biafrans, as long as this level of injustice by Nigeria against our people remains, we should never, for even one moment, flag in our activities to leave Nigeria and get our own independent nation of Biafra. Today and this week, we boycott the census; next week, it will be something else. Until we formally leave Nigeria, we will use every relevant opportunity available to act to secure the freedom and liberation of Biafra from Nigeria. If you are held under water, you can refuse to put up a struggle and thus be assured of drowning; alternatively, you can fight to get out of the water. We choose the latter: we choose to live, to preserve our heritage and to honor our creation by God. That’s why, Biafra.

Biafra alive: because God makes it so.

That’s the News Analysis for the week. Thank you.

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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.

Nkea 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.

Anyi na a ja unu ike maka unu Boycotturu census nde Nigeria! Biafra na e kele unu. Unu e ji la otua me ka uwa mara na unu a gaghi e so uzo ojoo, uzo nke aghugho na aru, uzo asi na ama. Unu jiri otuo kwuo na unu e nweghi ike soro na nzuko nke ihe ha na e me wu i ghogbu unu ma o wu i meru unu ahu. Ndewo unu! Ebere na e mere anyi nde Igbo-Biafra nde soro Nigeria mee census ojoo ha nke na e nweghikwanu isi. Ha wu ndi iberibe, ndi efulefu. Ndi Igbo – Biafra mere census Nigeria di ka ndi ohu na a choghi i me ihe o wula i ji i puta na ohu ahu agbara ha. Tufiakwa!

Maka ihe census Nigeria e nweghi isi, ndi Police Nigeria e jiri la iwe ya na e bo zi ndi MASSOB ebubo ugha na a si na ndi MASSOB na a lusi ndi Police ogu ma o wu na a lusi ndi mmadu ndi choro ka a guo ha na census ogu. Mana nkea wu ezigbo asi ka ndi Police na a si, di ka ha si a si na oge dum i ji i megide nde MASSOB. Anyi a marala na uzo nke MASSOB wu uzo nke udo, uzo nke egbe na mma na ogu a noghi ya.

Mmegbu ndi Nigeria na e megbu ndi Igbo ndi Biafra putara ighie na otu Obasanjo na Nigeria siri ka na e jide ndi MASSOB na ndi Biafra ndi ozo na nga. Onye isi MASSOB, Ralph Uwazurike na onwe ya, ka no na nga. Otua kwa, Uchenna Madu, na ndi ozo ndia: Vincent Ekwuazi, Arinze Igbani, Izuchukwu Izom na Uche Okwukwu, ndi nde SSS ka nwudere nke ohuru; na Chibuike Nwosu, Benedict Alakwem, Chimankpa Okorocha, Kelechi Ubabuike, Ambrose Anyaso na Augustine Ihuoma, ndi ha na Ralph no kembge na ilea. Anyi na a gwa Obasanjo ka ya hapu kwa ndi anyi a aka, weputa ha na nga, maka o nweghi ihe ojoo ha mere. Onye na a cho ka a kpoputa ndi nke ya na ohu, onye na a cho ka ndi oha mmadu nwere onwe ha, na a chi onwe ha, o nweghi otu onye ahu siri mee ihe ojoo; onye na a cho ka mmegbu na ogbugbu a na e megbu na na e gbu ndi nke ye, ka a kwusi ya, onye ahu mere iheoma. Mara kwa unu na otu Chineke siri duo Moses na i gbaputa umu Israel na ohu na ala Pharaoh na Egypt, na o wu otua ahu ka Chineke si e du Ralph Uwazurike na ndi MASSOB ka ha gbaputa ndi Igbo-ndi Biafra na aka Obasanjo na Nigeria. O wu na aha na na ike Chukwu ka Biafra na nde Biafra di: Chineke mere ka Biafra kwuru chim. Na aha Chineke ka anyi ga e ji e nweta Biafra, ji ike Chineke mee ihe o wula kwesirila anyi i me i nweta Biafra, ma owu i boycottu census ma o wu i me ihe ozo.

Biafra, ndu gi! Biafra, ndu gi!! Biafra, ndu gi!!!—na ndu anyi kwa. Maka Chineke nonyere la gi—nonyere kwa ra anyi!

Ndewo unu.

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Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
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