Biafra speaks

KWENU! Our culture, our future

Biafra speaks

ODI MOGHALU

Association of Biafran Christians

Los Angeles, CA

Monday, October 23, 2006

Like the Phoenix the re-emergence of Biafra surely arouse curiosity and awe. Biafra has become a necessity for survival as the Igbo in particular, recollect myriad pogroms unleashed against them within the tragic geo-political contraption that is Nigeria. 1945 in Jos, 1953 in Kano and in 1966, myriad cities and towns in Nigeria. Casualty numbers run from 150,000 to 200,000. The blood of Biafran heroes and the innocents during the Biafran War of 1967-1970 are estimated at 1 million while the Nigerian forces lost between 500,000 men to a million. Some say a needless war, an avoidable war, but one wonders how avoidable it was in the face of such circumstance of unmitigated genocidal passion. The intransigence of the Federal Government toward many desperate calls to protect the lives of its own citizens was defiantly exhibited. This moral, constitutional and legal responsibility of government has been denied Ndi Igbo for 60 years now. From January 2000 Zamfara State introduced the Sharia law and was later joined by 18 other northern states ushering a new dimension in constitutional violations and increased religious riots in which easterners are yet killed. It is safe to conclude with the casualty numbers, frequency of hostility and violence, and non-prosecution of suspects that the Nigerian Federal Government has demonstrated systematic disregard for the right to life of ordinary Biafrans. These have provided an object lesson that cannot be ignored. As a result, the logic of Biafra Lives. The Voice of Biafra Speaks.

Biafra speaks when incompatibility, discord, acrimony and conflict between regions, cultures and religions persist in Nigeria leading to costly implosions. The monolithic cultures of the North and West are completely antithetic to the social democracies which is known to have existed since 900 A.D. as a political structure and system in the East. The imperial vision behind the 1914 conglomeration of the northern and southern protectorates has in 92 years proven repeatedly that its benefits are simply alien and its consequences internally woeful. The skewed regional designations by the colonists was doomed to institute internal friction and confer dominance of one group against the others and the north has been the greater beneficiary. The Igbo having successfully led the resistance against the colonists naturally saw them out of favor with the British but the beneficiaries of this political freedom in the North and West have never appreciated or celebrated this sacrifice but has rather established a standing order of antagonism and aggression against them. The reward for the sacrifices of the Easterners has been discrimination, denial, exclusion, extortion, harassment, larceny of public and private wealth, rape, oppression of terrible kinds and the extreme of which has been cold genocide, remorseless genocide. This evil must meet a Devine halt. Has not these signs confirmed that the eternal and world views of the component ethnicities of Nigeria particularly in relation to the Igbo and their southeastern neighbors, who have in the past few years been engaged in conflict with the Nigerian Military, are seriously divergent? The enduring exclusion of the Igbo from top positions and ranks within armed forces, the civil service and frustration of efforts in sports, commerce and industry through levies, bribes, ban and restrictive enactments. The massacres in Odi and Obiama of the poor and deprived peoples of Bayelsa State and Onitsha in Anambra State by the Obasanjo government pointedly indicts the presidency of grave crimes of genocide. The rape of natural resources and state murder of Southeastern youth must be stopped and those culpable live to face justice.

Biafra speaks of the endemic corruption that has ever been the political culture in Nigeria. It is made worse that any ways and means of remedy are frustrated by the morally bereft leadership foisted on the peoples of this hapless country. Since 2001 Nigeria has been ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world as hunger and hardship stifles its vast citizenry. 46 years after its political freedom, no genuine, transparent and accountable election has ever been held. The Option A4 electioneering model employed by the then Electoral Commission in early 1990s ended with the annulment of the presidential election with the model jettisoned even by the current Obasanjo leadership despite its proven efficacy. 1999 and worse 2003 elections were, to say the least, a charade and travesty of democracy. Obasanjo and his vice Atiku Abubakar exposed each others corrupt dealings like thieves quarreling over loot and genuine, honest, transparent investigation impeachment and prosecution are most unlikely, owing to Nigeria’s standard of ‘might is right’ and that might is political power. The headlines speak volumes of the incorrigibility of power; “$400 billion Stolen from Nigeria’s Public Funds!”. “85% of Nigerian Roads Untarred”. “500,000 Displaced In Nigeria’s Ethnic Conflicts”. It is striking that under the leadership of the Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba, Nigeria for the past 40 years has undergone unfathomable corruption yet accusation still sifts from some quarters that the Igbo is significantly responsible for Nigerian corruption often associated with advanced fee fraud (419). But the statistics show differently. The leadership of Nigeria for the past 40 years that largely excluded Ndigbo should give account of the squandered $400 billion as reported by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Nigerian Census as a matter of pattern always goes with cooked and ambiguous numbers. It did in 1962 causing political unrest, it will in 2006/07 as the failure of the last census strives to gain legitimacy. Publishing the results have been a constant act of deferment. First there was an outright denial of ethnicity and religion as vital elements in standard demographic information, then the massive apathy and non-compliance in the East, inefficiency in the Census Commission administration of the exercise and lastly its continued postponement of publication of the result. 46 years after the political severance from imperial control, Nigeria does not have a peoples constitution which would have stipulated the freely expressed wishes of its peoples and attempts to construct one has ever been frustrated by her many cabal-run, military-controlled regimes. Constitutional Conference of 1993, National Political Reform conference of 2005, Constitution Review Committees of 2006 to mention a recent few out of many are all failed attempts at holding successfully a Nigerian Talk. Where resolutions are reached, they are never adopted or implemented. If these do not give enough rationale for the break-up of that ailing country, what does? Biafra speaks of these injustice and oppression which cannot remain a perennial phenomenon.

When in January 15, 2005 the National Intelligence Council of the United States released a report foretelling the dismemberment of Nigeria in 15 years, citing parameters such as religious riots, continual drift to one-party state, mass disenchantments, poverty and many more, the Nigerian government predictably gave a rebuttal to that. But the council were merely stating the obvious indices of what was fast degenerating into a failed state. “The leaders,” they further stated, “are locked in a bad marriage that all dislike but dare not leave.” Events have since corroborated the statement. Though Nigeria had long elevated political corruption to an art, there seems to be no effort to contain the cancerous malady. The present government remains in the quagmire of unscrupulous mercenary politics, glorification of materialism amidst squalor, rapacious drive of the vice of avarice, malicious and vindictive campaign against political opponents particularly from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) which has since coming to power exhibited nothing short of intolerance for political opposition. Not only were many representatives (about 80%) rigged or simply installed by ruling party fiat into political positions but would be ousted through the political backdoor in coming elections, governors are impeached or state of emergency declared, often unconstitutionally as soon as they fall out of favor with the megalomaniac in power. Intimidation and selective justice rules as court orders are willingly disobeyed by the sitting regime. The deplorable security in Nigeria is made worse by a police force ridden with want, bribery and extortion. Political assassinations continue with few if any culprits apprehended and prosecuted for these callous murders. Nigeria corrupts and does that absolutely. It is quite amazing when through all these still emerges opinions aired in favor of “one Nigeria.” Either these advocates benefit from the larceny and deprivation that is this country’s nature or they are grossly ignorant of her realities.

Biafra speaks in the expression of justified resentment of these inhumanities against the Igbo. In August 26, 2004 the stay-at-home observation initiated by the Movement For The Actualization of The Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) became a significant demonstration of dissent, hope and desire. The collective affirmation of an oppressed group of their need and resolve to achieve freedom through self determination can no longer be ignored. The arrest and detention of Ralph Uwazurike, Uchenna Madu and other Massob members along with extended number of Igbo youth shall remain nothing short of condemnable. More so the killing of Igbo youth on the guise security- maintenance. The right to free expression of political will and choice has, like the entire South-east been gravely violated by this government. While the non-violent members of Massob as still incarcerated their counterparts in the North and West of the country who have actually violently demonstrated political will are either ignored, hence they are incarcerated in far smaller numbers, released or even acquitted. The Onitsha killing of Igbo youth, in their hundreds, by Nigerian armed forces remains an indictment of the President and Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, who invited them and ordered the troops to “shoot at sight.” Indeed this government has insulted and humiliated the Igbo on occasions. From undermining and subverting their political will at the polls to harassment, incarceration and killings by security forces. From killing MASSOB members in Okigwe incarcerating others all over the country to the riotous and destructive rampage of Obasanjo’s political son and agent Chris Uba and his thugs in Anambra State to hap on few specifics. From the myriad empty promises to reconstruct eastern dilapidated roads, internationalize an airport in Enugu or Onitsha to the creation of one more state or rebuild of another Niger bridge, Obasanjo for 7 years now has insulted the Igbo and shown absolute disregard for their humanity. These are the issues that Biafra speaks to. The oppression and bloodletting against the Igbo (a 60-year phenomenon in Nigeria) from historical experience, will continue, and it is our only choice and collective duty to resist it. Pandering, acquiescing, cowering or being subservient to the continued intimidation and oppression of the Nigerian Lords can only encourage their wicked and perverse ways. Though assailed by fear, we have not lost our courage as Igbo youth has demonstrated in the agitation for Biafra. Why wait for this crocodile to decimated us last in the false hope that playing ostrich will make it go away. “What then can we do?” You may ask.

BOYCOTT 2007 ELECTIONS!

It is time for every Igbo worth his value as a human being with dignity, to stand firmly in support of the Biafran cause. Let the Igbo start with civil disobedience by resolving that they will never cooperate with any electoral program in Nigeria again. Let all the 2007 elections that will certainly be a charade like the rest be boycotted. Voting will only seem to legitimize the corrupt electoral process and perpetuate the falsehood that is Nigerian Democracy. The time calls on all the Igbo and their southeastern neighbors. The time is now!