August 8 2008

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

For August 8, 2008

You have heard the news; now, the analysis…

Fellow Biafrans:

Self Determination. If one is not working on Self Determination for our people of Biafra today, one is wasting time. As a matter of fact, “wasting time” would be considered a “blessing” when compared to the real consequences of not working on Self Determination for Biafra. Indeed, if “wasting time” was all of the consequences of not seeking Biafra Self Determination at this time, we should consider ourselves all very lucky. Now, allow us to remind you about some of the real consequences of our not unanimously embracing Self Determination for Biafra and implementing it in this day.

No doubt, we all know of, or have experienced, the total lack of security in our own land today. As an indelible example, consider this: Kidnapping for ransom is only one of the latest waves of a series of ever more shocking crimes committed in our own homeland, against our own people, by persons from our own land. Relatives—even blood relatives—are no longer safe from their own kith and kin. Those living abroad are not safe either—if anything, they have become “fair game” as the “deep pocket” wherein they are demanded to come up with (and wire-transfer) the ransom for kidnapped family members at home; sometimes, they, themselves, are kidnapped when they set foot in Biafraland, often right from their own towns and villages, or compounds. The brutality of the kidnappers is a testament to their total lack of conscience, as most kidnap-victims end up dead, anyway, whether or not ransom is collected. Such criminal transactions were unheard of in our culture and in our society of yore.

In a functioning and cohesive society which Biafra was then, is NOT, now, but will most certainly be again upon Biafra actualization, the people protect one another in many ways. Families look out not just for themselves, but for other families. The entire village looks out for each member. Townsfolk protect one another; neighbors and friends look out for other neighbors and friends, where everyone is ultimately a neighbor and or a friend in one capacity or another. It will be recalled that in our Culture, the utmost protection is provided for the guest or stranger or alien living among us, as a privilege, a matter of Tradition. Duty to the society and societal expectations discourage and prevent almost all but petty crime and criminals. The fact that one is expected to explain sudden wealth or material acquisitions to family, friends and neighbors provides another check for mis-adventurists. All this is yet without ultimate recourse to the courts / police system, or even to the popular and effective informal peer arbitration system, not to speak of the much respected and binding community arbitration systems available to the society and well-utilized as such. That was the system the older among us knew so well—when society functioned; that was the system, inherited from the Igbo and brother-neighbors, that Biafra was built on and operating.

What does one expect when the substance of such Culture is rent and the fabric of that Society is ripped to shreds? If in doubt, follow the history of crime in our land today. What we see is that the more crime is permitted and committed in our land (and such is ever the case), the more it flourishes; the more it mutates and degenerates into bestialities yet unheard of. When this happens, as is occurring today, fear grips everyone. People want to leave home at all costs—not for their own betterment but solely for their own safety. Those who cannot leave will become trapped, eventually being turned into either perpetual victims or criminals—one or the other: there are no other options; there is no middle ground here. In the meantime, those already outside are afraid to visit our homeland, and when not thusly entirely boycotting their own homeland, are left with the unsatisfactory alternative of “proxy-visitations” wherein, they hole up in Lagos or Abuja or in other neighboring countries only to merely exchange messages with family. All the while, conditions are becoming more hellish at home, without hope of cessation, redemption or correction; culminating in the situation where, to all intents and purposes, there is no home at all, technically or practically speaking.

We all know today that the reason for our homeland being in this sorry and doleful state is because of its occupation by Nigeria, and the ongoing forced status as part of one-Nigeria. It is common knowledge that all by itself, Nigeria corrupts everything associated with it: it shouldn’t come as surprise that any part of one-Nigeria has become hell, our land included. But, when Nigeria in fact sets out specifically and deliberately to exploit, humiliate, destroy and annihilate our land and its culture and people, resulting in documented Genocide, persecution, repression and pernicious trivialization of our people (all on an ongoing basis), no feeling or thinking person should be wondering how and why rampaging crime and criminals is one—just one—of the curses of our land today. Nigeria has created the environment in our land which encourages crime and criminals, and affords full protection and lack of accountability for those criminals. Nigeria is also only too glad to add directly to the victim’s burden—our burden—in our land today. No sane person should be in doubt as to why, therefore, there is this ever-deteriorating state of insecurity in our land today. The only wonder is why any Biafran today should aid Nigeria in its continuing to destroy our land; why any Biafran should continue to insist on one-Nigeria for our people, and why any Biafran should fail to ask for Biafra actualization today to relieve us of destructive enslavement by Nigeria. Especially when such Biafrans, no matter where they are—in the Nigeria geo-space or in so-called Diaspora—are suffering, and could not deny, the malicious consequences of Nigeria’s forced hold on and of our people today.

It should be obvious that the beginning of the solution to our awful predicament in Nigeria—in fact, the root-solution—is Biafra actualization. A Sovereign Independent Biafra gives us back the control of our land and gives our people back their life, that we may repair our tattered culture and battered society, and in so doing, start on the journey back to our wonted Traditions. A Sovereign Independent Biafra puts us directly in charge of our own destiny, thus to restore Security in our Land and to our land, and allow us to come home, live at home or leave home, in confidence and prosperity, on our own terms, and for reasons other than lack of security.

So, we return to Self Determination as, at once, the political and legal Right, instrument and process already approved by the UN in its General Assembly Resolution A/61/295 of September 12 / 13^th 2007. Even before this Resolution, the MASSOB organization, Biafra Foundation (BF) and Biafra Actualization Forum (BAF), along with the Biafra masses, understood this principle and have been acting on our God-given Right to be master of our own selves, and to run our collective life as a Sovereign and Independent Nation of Biafra. It is this process-cum-principle of Self Determination that we want to win over all Biafrans to, as our way to Biafra actualization, in order to stop our maddening misfortunes, reverse our course, and return to Life and living. Biafra actualization is the answer; Self Determination is the way. Biafra!

Nigeria must realize that leaving Ralph Uwazurike, the leader of MASSOB, in limbo with regards to its contrived case against him, and the status of his bail; as well as the bail conditions for these other MASSOB members, can only be seen as what it really is: the ongoing brutality of Nigeria against our people. This validates the points we have made earlier. Release these persons: Samuel Onwuka, Jude Onuasoanya, Sunday Mmadubuike, Chima Okafor, Richard Oko, Isaac Obi, Sunday Agudike, Uchenna Onuegbe, Anayo Nwali, Chukwudi Dennis, Arinze Obodozie, Oko Uru, Emeka Ugwu, and Uchenna Madu, MASSOB’s Information Director. These are innocent MASSOB members whom you, Nigeria, arrested and imprisoned unjustly and without trial, and are now claiming that you granted bail, when in fact you set the bail conditions deliberately too high. Nothing will stop us from working for the full release of our Brethren.

Biafra alive! Because it is God Who makes it so.

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 (http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm) now continues in Igbo, one of the Biafran languages.

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 (VOBI) Radio, di na Washington DC, na ala America, na a bia ra unu na abali a.

“Self Determination”: o wu naani ihe anyi ga na e kwu okwu ya. Maka “Self Determination” wu uzo anyi ga e so na nweta Biafra. Nweta Biafra di oke mkpa, na ihi na o wu sooso mmebi na onwu wu ihe diri ndi Biafra ma anyi nodi na ime Nigeria.

Onye e chefughikwa la ihe ga e me anyi—ihe na e me anyi—maka anyi ka no na ime “one-Nigeria.” Onye o wula a nu la ihe gbasara aru na uruh na e me na ala Biafra taa—“kidnap”—ebe ndi ojoo na e jide mmadu gbuo onye ahu o wuru na umunna onye ahu e nyeghi ha ego buru ibu. Cheta kwa unu na mgbe Biafra wu Biafra, udi ihea a naghi e me. Ma ugbua, kemgbe Nigeria jiri nogide anyi, na e megbu anyi, jiri ike tinye anyi na one-Nigeria, njo na aru di otua, uruh di otua, na nke ka ya njo, wu zi ihe na e mezi na ala anyi oge na ile. Nke mere ka ujo ji na a tu zi nde Biafra i bi na ala anyi; e me ka ndi bi na ime Biafra na a cho zi i gbafu oso, site na ala Biafra puo; e me ka nde biafra bi na Obodo ozo a lotaghikwa la ulo. Ihe ndia na ile wu aru na ihe ojoo Nigeria butere la anyi. O wu sooso Biafra ga a gwo oria ya, mezie ra anyi ihe Nigeria mebiri.

Naani otu ihe ka na a gba anyi na ndi uwa gharii: na onye Biafra ga a kwado one-Nigeria taa, mgbe o hu chara ihe Nigeria mere anyi, na otu anyi na ala anyi di taa, na ihi Nigeria.

O wu maka nkea ka anyi ji na a gwa umu Biafra na ile ka ha tinye isi ha na “Self Determination.” Nkea wu uzo nke ndi UN dere na akwukwo nkwekorita a na a kpo General Assembly Resolution A/61/295, nke kwere na ndi Mba owula nwere ike i puta, nooro onwe ha, na a chi onwe ha. Ndi MASSOB na Biafra Foundation (BF) na Biafra Actualization Forum (BAF) bidoro e bido na a ga uzo ahu tutu ndi UN e kwere na ya. Anyi na a kpo ndi Biafra na ile ka ha bia nye aka ka anyi nweta Biafra na uzo “Self Determination,” maka o wu naani Biafra ga a nye anyi obi-sie-ike na Ndu, ka anyi were otuahu bie otu Chineke jiri kee anyi, otu anyi di na mbu tutu Nigeria e mebisia anyi. Sooso Biafra!

Lee kwa unu ihe Nigeria na e me Ralph Uwazurike, onye isi MASSOB, na umu MASSOB ndi ozo maka bail. O wu otu njo na uruh Nigeria ahu anyi na e kwu okwu ya. Umunne anyi ndia wu: Samuel Onwuka, Jude Onuasoanya, Sunday Mmadubuike, Chima Okafor, Richard Oko, Isaac Obi, Sunday Agudike, Uchenna Onuegbe, Anayo Nwali, Chukwudi Dennis, Arinze Obodozie, Oko Uru, Emeka Ugwu, na Uchenna Madu, otu na ndi ndu MASSOB. Nigeria: hapu ha aka. Bail i si na i nyere ha wu aghugho—o nweghi bail ha nwetara; ha ka no na mkporo gi. Obi anyi dum no ebe unu, umunne anyi ndi otu MASSOB ya, no; anyi na e me ihe owula e kwesiri i me ka e weputa unu na mkporo ojoo Nigeria.

Biafra: biri kwa! ka Chineke siri kee gi.

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

Ndewo unu

____________________________________________________________

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) broadcast continues

Voice of Biafra International (VOBI)
A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service
transmitting
at 2000 - 2100 Hours UTC (Universal Time [Coordinated])
equivalent to 9.00pm - 10.00pm Biafraland time
every Friday
A project of Biafra Foundation (BF) and Biafra Actualization Forum (BAF)