A PLEA FOR HELP!

"Surely, when a whole people is rejected by the majority of the state in which they live, they must have the right to live under a different kind of arrangement which does secure their existence. States are made to serve people; governments are established to protect the citizens of a state against external enemies and internal wrong‑doers."

President Julius Nyerere
Biafra, Human Rights and Self‑determination in Africa.
April 13, 1968 (Dar es Salam) 

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Dear President Clinton,

We, “The Igbo Coalition in the Americas”, extend our gratitude to the United States of America for your upcoming visit to  Nigeria. This gives you, Mr. President an opportunity, as the leader of the free world to observe first hand the plight of the Igbo and other non-Moslems in Nigeria.          We ask that you do everything in your power to help Nigerian Christians, who are being persecuted for their faith.
 
We want to alert you about a serious humanitarian issue, the immense injustice that has befallen our peace loving, God fearing population, a people steeped in the Judea‑Christian and democratic values, the Igbo (or Ibo) nation in Nigeria.
Nigeria is at a crossroad again and as usual the Igbo nation is the scape goat. There is a concerted effort by Islamic extremists and Islamic political leaders in the Feudal‑Moslem North to subjugate the Igbo nation. This plot is openly and enthusiastically supported by such countries as Iran, Libya and Sudan. To Muslim extremists, the Igbo nation is the only force that stands between them and the total Islamization of West Africa.

We, the Igbo people have suffered many pogroms in the past. We are the survivors of the most brutal genocidal massacres ever unleashed in Africa, south of the Sahara. We have paid an immense prize at the hands of Moslem radicals who consider the Igbo nation as the most despicable of infidels outside of the Republic of Israel. In the past 50 years, more than 5 million Igbo people have died in pogroms, wars and massacres designed to “teach the Igbo a lesson”. For our rich Judea-Christian and democratic values, many Moslems regard us Igbo as little better than vermin, worthy of the most brutal treatment.
 
To illustrate the urgency of our plight, below is a small snapshot of a few of the pogroms and acts of genocidal slaughter that the Igbo have suffered in Nigeria since 1945: 

Crimes of GENOCIDE Committed by NIGERIA on the IGBO

1945   Northern Moslems kill HUNDREDS of IGBO civilians in the Northern city of JOS and loot their properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars!

1953    Northern Moslems pounce on IGBO civilians in the Northern city of KANO, HUNDREDS of IGBO men and women are killed and their property worth in the hundreds of millions are looted!

1966 * MAY * JULY * SEPTEMBER * 

(The worst pogrom in all of Africa up to that time!)

Band of killers, mostly Moslems, in all Hamlets, Villages, Towns and Cities in Northern Nigeria carried out one of the most barbaric pogroms in contemporary history against the Igbo living in Northern Nigeria. At the end of three waves of all-out massacres, FIFTY THOUSAND IGBO (and other Easterner Nigerians) were slaughtered. Among the dead were men and women of all ages, as well as children. Unborn fetuses were not spared during these three months when armed marauders prowled everywhere outside of Eastern Nigeria, hunting Igbo people down like animals: Pregnant Igbo women were captured, their bellies ripped open and their unborn children hacked to death.

1967 	In July, a Northern led army declared war on the Igbo/Easterners in their homeland in Southeastern Nigeria who, out of utter shock at the pogrom unleashed against the Igbo, had concluded that Easterners/Igbo were not wanted in the Nigerian Federation and had  declared the Eastern Region the independent Republic of Biafra. By the time the war ended in January 1970, more than  THREE MILLION IGBO people, including over a million children had died. Many of the dead, especially children, had died of starvation, a result of the deliberate policy of the Nigerian government, which had imposed a total land, sea and air blockade of Biafra, prohibiting even food and medical deliveries to the war zone!

Since 1980 thousands of Igbo have continued to be attacked and massacred!

1980 	Northern City of KANO!
1982 	Northern City of MAIDUGURI!
1984 	Northern City of YOLA!
1985 	Northern City of GOMBE!
1986 	Northern Cities of KADUNA and KAFANCHAN!

1991 	Northern Cities of BAUCHI, KATSINA and KANO!
1992 	Northern City of ZANGO KATAF!
1993 	Northern City of FUNTUA!
1994 	Northern City of KANO!
....
2000 (Feb.)	 More than 3000 CHRISTIANS which included more than 2000 IGBO were slaughtered in cold blood by Northern MOSLEM FANATICS in the Northern City of KADUNA!
2000 (Apr.) 	Northern City of DAMBOA!

AT PRESENT SECRET KILLINGS OF IGBO CONTINUE IN THE NORTH!

As we write, Mr. President, a well-designed plan is being carried out throughout Nigeria. The Igbo people are the largest single ethnic group of Christians in all of Africa. As usual the current plan targets the Igbo for subjugation, even destruction. The Igbo nation continues to pay a heavy prize for their religious beliefs and ethnic background!

Before we continue on this subject, we ask that you look at the map below:

•	As shown in the map above the following states: SOKOTO, ZAMFARA, KATSINA, KEBBI, NIGER, JIGAWA, YOBE, BAUCHI, BORNO, KANO, GOMBE are now Islamic states.
•	
•	These states have unilaterally adopted Islam as their state religion and legal/criminal code, in direct and flagrant violation of the constitution of Nigeria. They have even gone further to stop and confiscate the assets of legitimate businesses that belong to law abiding citizens, mainly Igbo.

To understand the implications of what the Igbo and other non Moslem nations face in Nigeria, we have included the map of states in Nigeria showing the unfolding ISLAMIC REPUBLIC. Muslim extremists and their political and religious leaders now believe that, for Nigeria to remain one country, it must now become an Islamic nation. The people of Southern Sudan, for more than 30 years, have been involved in a life and death struggle with the Arab, Islamist Northern Government in Khartoum, in a total rejection of the Islamization of their area. We the Igbo people totally reject the TALIBANIZATION and ISLAMIZATION of Nigeria. The Igbo people do not want to live in an Islamic republic. We want to live in a nation in which the law makes a clear separation between church and state, where the law respects the rights of all citizens to follow the religion of their choice, where government can not make policies favoring one religion over another.
 
 It is important that we stress the following: 
  
 Islam is a great religion and we have nothing against Islam or Moslem, whether such Moslems live in Nigeria or else where. We recognize the right of Moslems in Northern Nigeria, or else where, to practice and live by the Islamic principles in their own NATION. They have now declared that right and we support them.

Since the Igbo and other non-Moslems have every right to practice whatever religion they choose and live by whatever principles they choose, it is important that the free world recognize and  accord this equally very important right. 

This threat to Islamize Nigeria, and in fact West Africa can best be illustrated by the two articles below:    

#1

Post Express
Category: News
Date of Article: 06/05/2000
Topic: Libya to Build Islamic Varsity in Kano ... Signs N30b contract
Author: Bassey Inyang, Kano
Full Text of Article:
To further promote Islamic education in the country, the Libyan government, over the weekend in Kano, signed a contract of $300m (N30 billion) for the construction of an Islamic university in the city.
The $300 million school is to be known as Moumar Gaddafi Islamic University, Kano, a name borrowed from the Libyan strongman Col. Moumar Gaddafi. Addressing newsmen in Kano over the development, the Director of the World Islamic Call Society (WICS), Mr. Mohammed Ali, said his organization is handling the project on behalf of the Libyan government, adding that the school project would be financed from the "Jihad Tax" paid by Libyans.

Ali disclosed that the decision to set up an Islamic university for the propagation of the faith in Nigeria was informed by one of the five pillars of the faith which provides for the prosecution of a Jihad (holy war) to spread the religion, first championed by Holy Prophet Mohammed."Whatever we are spending is from the pocket of the Libyan people called "Jihad Tax" it is one of the Islamic pillars that you have to do it with your money or through any other means" Ali, who spoke through an interpreter stated.
According to Ali, the idea behind the university was to ensure that the Islamic knowledge was preached throughout Nigeria and other sub‑Sahara African countries.
He stated that the idea behind the university was also aimed at checkmating the influence of European imperialists in Nigeria and Africa at large, adding that at the fullness of time, the project will facilitate the formation of the United States of Africa (USA).
Ali said the move by Gaddafi to propagate the teaching and learning of Islam in Nigeria was not new as the leader of the Jamahariah was only following the footsteps of his forefathers who helped in bringing Islam to Western Sudan. Ali, who also spoke on the conflicts in parts of Nigeria as a result of the introduction of the Sharia said the conflicts wee not borne out of the Sharia but external forces from outside the country who were bent on splitting Nigeria. He asked Nigeria to resist foreign powers with all resources at their disposal so as to keep the country united.
Ali disclosed that the WICS was enjoying every amount of support from the Kano State government and the Federal Government as well, saying "President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gaddafi are very good friends."
The Gaddafi University which is to be cited along Gwarzo road in Kano city, will be constructed by Messrs AG. Ferrario Ltd.
The school will cover all landscape of 137 hectres, and will teach all conventional subjects ranging from medicine, sciences, agriculture, engineering, arts and a host of others.
The contract papers were signed on behalf of the construction firm by Mr. Constantino Ferrario while Mohammed Ali signed on behalf of the Libyan government.

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#2

The Guardian Online ‑ http://www.ngrguardiannews.com
Tuesday, June 6, 2000
Nigerian Moslem leaders to attend Sharia summit in Niger
NIGERIAN Moslem scholars and leaders will attend a Sharia summit scheduled for Niger Republic's city of Madawa alongside their counterparts from Togo and Republic of Benin this week, British Broadcasting Corporation said yesterday.
The summit is to promote Islamic law in the sub‑region.

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These two articles above and others that we can provide if needed, will definitely point the trajectory to an unfolding Islamic conquest if permitted. Remember that since 1945, Southern Sudan has been in a death struggle against this impending conquest. 

We are told that “Nigeria has taken steps towards a fairer, more democratic government, that the elections held in February represent a positive sign for Nigeria’s future.” But does this also extend to the Igbo? Below is a verifiable track record of the so called fair democratic Obasanjo’s regime.

New Heights in Marginalization (Obasanjo regime)

If the history of skewed appointments since independence leaves any one in doubt about the emergence of a pattern, the Obasanjo regime has cleared such doubts. No regime has betrayed so much disdain for the rights of the Igbo in its appointments as the Obasanjo regime. We review the appointment so far. It is important to stress that no Igbo has attained the position as executive head of state of Nigeria since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war in 1970; also glass ceiling has been created to limit Igbo from attaining ministerial positions in the following departments: Defense, Foreign, Petroleum, Internal Affairs, etc 

 i)                                                 National Security Council: 

South West (Yoruba)          4 (including the President) 
North Central                      3  
North East                           2 (including Vice-President)
North West                          2  
South South                        1 
South East (Igbo)                0

The absence of any person from the South-East zone contravenes section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution, especially as paragraph (1) of section 25 of part 1, 3rd schedule of the 1999 constitution dealing with the composition of the National security Council provides that two additional members may be appointed to the National Security Council at the president’s discretion.

 ii                                          Armed Forces:

The South East (Igbo) does not presently have any Major General or the ranks above it in the Nigerian Army, or the equivalent rank in the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Navy and therefore, cannot produce any of the service Chiefs. Moreover, the number of officers of South-east (Igbo) zone is far short of the one sixth of the total as required by Section 14(3) of the 1999 constitution.

iii                                          Nigerian police:

Out of the 16 top police officers, VIZ, IG, DIGs & AIGs, there is only one AIG of South East (Igbo) origin, contrary to the constitutional requirements in Section 14(3). (IG - inspector general of police, DIG - deputy inspector general of police, AIG - assistant inspector general of police)
Also, the South-East (Igbo) Zone under the present structure of the Nigeria Police Force, would appear to be a colonized territory because:
            Anambra State Command (an Igbo State) reports to the AIG based in Benin (South-South Zone).
            Enugu State Command (an Igbo State) reports to the AIG based in Makurdi (North-Central Zone)
            Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States Commands (all Igbo states) report to the AIG in Calabar (South-South Zone).

There is need for the zonal structure of the Nigeria police Force to be changed so that the Police State Commands in the South East Zone constitute its own zone with its zonal office based in the South-East zone, to which all the state commands of the 5 South Eastern States (Igbo) will report, as is the arrangement in other geo-political zones. It was recently that due to the demands of Igbo at home and in diaspora that Obasanjo grudgingly agreed to give the South East its own zonal command.                                                                                                                                                 
iv.                                                        Allocation of Ministries

We quote the protest of South East (Igbo) Zone of the ruling Peoples democratic Party:
 “We note that in the allocation of portfolios to the ministers appointed, there is a gross imbalance against the South-East (Igbo) Zone in the number and importance of the portfolios. Persons from the South-East Zone were given 3 Cabinet ministerial positions, which is the lowest number of all the Zones, and 4 ministers of State.”
For comparative purposes, it may be noted that:
          	South-west has 5 Cabinet Ministers (excluding Petroleum under The President) and 4 Ministers of State.
           North-West has 6 Cabinet Ministers and 4 ministers of State.
           North-Central has 4 Cabinet Ministers and 3 Ministers of State.
           North-East has 4 Cabinet Ministers and 4 Ministers of State.
           South-south has 4 Cabinet Ministers and 4 Ministers of State.
                                                                                                  
                                                     Social Dis-empowerment

[ i]                                        Employment in the Federal Sector   
 
 In spite of this elaborate provision of the constitution that there should be predominance of a few ethnic or other sectional groups and in spite of the powers given to the Federal Character Commission in this regard, some ethnic groups and some sectional groups have continued to have predominance in share of employment at the expenses of some other ethnic groups especially Igbo.
The deliberate under-representation in aggregation of States, effected by giving Igbo ethnic group less number of States than its population merits is a predictable ploy to ensure that Igbo will be permanently short-changed in the distribution of employment and other resources. Today, Igbo (South-East) lag, in the distribution of employment and amenities, behind the Yoruba (South-West) and the Hausa-Fulani (North-West), the two other major ethnic groupings with which Igbo rank in population.
The situation in representations and employments in International Organizations in Nigeria shows a similar pattern of marginalisation. Even among the three southern zones Igbo have been worse off. It is a major path of the marginalisation plan and cynical divide-and-rule tactic that for all positions coming to the southern zones, those at the helm of affairs have always contrived to head such positions away from the Igbo zone (South East) in favor of the other two zones especially the South West (Yoruba) in furtherance of the marginalisation of the Igbo.
Admittedly, some other zones from the north are also disadvantaged in terms of number of staff, but the reason, unlike the case of the South-East (Igbo) (where there is abundant and available relevant manpower in all fields of human endeavor), is that the zones have a paucity of the requisite manpower.

                                                    Racial Discrimination

 (a)                                                     Exploitation

Mr. President, 50% of Nigeria’s crude oil export come from Igbo speaking areas, and most of these areas have been carved out of Igbo states into non-Igbo states resulting in the separation of families and communities which has resulted in the further marginalization of the Igbo nation.
The presence of Igbo, a diaspora people, boosts the population figures of their resident States in census counts. Also, the contributions of the Igbo residents help the economy of the States. Yet, the Igbo residents are denied the full benefits of citizenship in all such States in many subtle but effective ways. Such ways include:

(i)                               Exclusion from the benefits of Federal Character Law:

Dispensations (such as scholarships and employments) which flow to States (which means explicit geo-political basis of States, not tribes) are shared by their governments exclusively to the indigenes, as against the stranger residents, normally Igbo.

(ii)                                Differential Civil Obligations:

Different tax assessments and school fees operate in favor of the indigenes, against the detriment of “stranger elements”, mainly Igbo. The heavier loser in this legal network of exploitation is the Igbo land. In a country where population size is a vital variable in revenue sharing, Igbo land loses the head-count of millions of her children in diaspora during national census (Igbo in diaspora- outside South East zone, constitute at least 50% of the overall Igbo population).Yet she is made to bear and suffer the grim natal obligations for these millions whom Nigeria denies the full protection of citizenship and residency rights through the manipulations of “State of Origin” proviso.

(b)                                   Discrimination and attacks in business

Igbo businesses suffer also from many other discriminating laws. In Katsina State, there was unprovoked molestation of Igbo entrepreneurs in August 1999, resulting in arson on Igbo hotels, restaurants and businesses.  This was followed soon after by similar destruction in Zamfara State following the islamization of the State. Again, all these acts seemed to enjoy immunity from the law. The nearest which Igbo got to an official acknowledgement of injustice was President Obasanjo’s reply to the letter of protest of Dr Orji Uzo Kalu, Governor of Abia State, in which he expressed his satisfaction that Katsina State Government had taken measures against recurrence of such incidents. Officialdom was, as usual, coldly silent on compensation for destroyed businesses or punishment of offenders.

(c)                                         Society’s Scape-goats

 Finally, the Igbo has always been the favorite scapegoats of the various ethnic political and religious conflicts and clashes in the country. The property of Igbo are frequently looted whenever there is group conflict, whether or not the Igbo are involved. 

(d)                                     Protection of the Law

In all the riots Igbo were made victims as they were killed and their property destroyed or looted. In the history of Nigeria, no government has ever offered compensation or any other form of redress to the Igbo even in cases of perfunctory official inquiries. Ndi  Igbo (the Igbo)  enjoy less protection of the law than any other ethnic group in Nigeria. A blood-chilling celebration of the licence of impunity to the rest of Nigeria in their treatment of Igbo citizens was the confident action of the mob who hoisted the head of a murdered Igbo citizen, Mr. Akaluka on a pole in a macabre street procession of triumph right in the presence of law enforcement agencies, in Kano, during an orgy of days of Igbo racial-baiting and massacres.

                                     Economic Dis-empowerment

                            Denial and Delay of infra-structural Facilities

The unwillingness of Federal Government to repair or reconstruct the bad infra-structural facilities damaged during the war hardened into cold indifference or indeed opposition to the existence of any infra-structures in Igbo land. The roads in the five states of South East (Igbo States) have been acknowledged by all observers as the worst in the Federation.   
The attitude of the federal Government is clearly illustrated by one incident. The Onitsha market, the commercial knob of Nigeria with links of patronage to most states of West African sub-region, was burnt down in a fire disaster. The evident value of this market to the economy and foreign image of Nigeria should have been enough strong reason to move the Federal Government to remedial action. But she remained indifferent. The Onitsha market traders’ request for federal assistance to Federal government met with cold rebuff. The traders then asked for a loan in place of grant. This was also turned down. But at the same time, the Federal Government released 1.6 billion niara, more than the estimated cost of reconstruction of the Onitsha Market, for the Kaduna Trade Fair project This incident is typical of Federal Government’s policy of cold indifference (indeed, subtle but outright antagonism) to the infra-structural development of Igbo states.
The few Federal utilities in Igbo land suffer total neglect, even when their appropriate maintenance will have meant increased revenue to the Federal Government. Oji River Power Station and Afam Power Station have suffered virtual abandonment at a time of critical power shortage in Igbo land and Eastern area. The Coal corporation at Enugu has suffered the same fate. The Federal Government’s policy of total neglect of Igbo land has become so glaring that some conscientious non-Igbo Nigerians have been shocked. 
Recently, more than 2,000 members of a non-violent organization, MASSOB (Movement for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra) were jailed and are still languishing in jail without trial for peaceful demonstration. Also there is presently over 8 million internally displaced Igbo (refugees from Islamic States in Nigeria) who lost everything and are yet to be compensated. These internally displaced people need urgent humanitarian assistance. We hope that you, Mr. President understands that you are interacting with a government that is guilty of depriving Igbo their property rights which were compulsorily acquired in contradiction of the provisions of the 1963 Constitution, Section 31 (1), No. 20, which was in operation at that time, by the Rivers State Government, Cross Rivers State Government, and the Federal Government of Nigeria after the Civil War, up till date the owners of these properties still await justice! 
Nigeria is not a democracy by any definition, it is totally corrupt and a place where the rule of LAW has ceased to exist. Feudalism, Islamization and democracy have never been known to co-exist.   

There are no other alternatives out there. There will be Islamic countries and there will be non‑Islamic countries, one of which is THE NEW REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA. We appeal to the President, People of the United States of America and the world to come to the aid of all those fighting to maintain their way of life, be it in Sudan or Nigeria, and offer them support and RECOGNITION, including the Republic of BIAFRA, just like was done for Czechs, Slovaks and for countries of the former Soviet Union.

God bless America!

                                                                     THE IGBO COALITION:

Eastern Mandate Union Abroad
                                                                     World Igbo Council
Enugu State Association
Abia State Development Union
Ikeduru Patriotic Union & Friends
Orlu Peoples Association
Umunna Progressive Union
Mbieri United Association
Izu Ngwa, Washington, DC Metro. Area
Okoroshi African Cultures Inc.
Ekwe Nche Organization

cc: Secretary of State: Madam Albright
     Vice President: Al Gore
      Governor of Texas: George W. Bush
      Senators and Representatives