Stop This Intimidation of BIafrans In Nigeria

        STOP THIS INTIMIDATION OF BIAFRANS IN NIGERIA

BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI (a.k.a Nwa Biafra)

       

                              

(See the pictures of those who killed

the Biafrans in Nigeria).

Those of you who opposes the Biafran 

coming will experience ugly situation                  like king Nebuchadnezzar did for 7 years                          in the bush. It is no secret that the Nigerian security apparatus have been ordered by President Olusegun Obasanjo hound and arrested Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the Massob boss, because of his efforts to actualize Biafra. The same persecution has been visited on other MASSOB members. For example, on 23rd May 2000-the second day after we hoisted the flag of the New Biafra, they killed two activists, Mr. Joseph Okereke and Mr. Moses Nwaogu, at Aba.

On another occasion, this time in Okigwe, Imo State, the State Security Services (SSS) killed three unnamed Biafran Policemen and wounded ten others. We would have retaliated if not that we have vowed to remain a non violent movement. I, however, find this hard line posture of the Nigerian government difficult to understand. Is it a crime for someone or a group of people to fight nonviolently for their rights? Although the Nigerian nation is a place where truth does not see the light of the day, while falsehood resigns, I make bold to say that I fully support MASSOB’s agenda to actualise the Biafran Republic through nonviolent means.

President Obasanjo and other enemies of the Igbos should understand that all the Igbos /Easterners are behind MASSOB-the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra. In view of this, the Federal Government of Nigeria should also order for the arrest of all Igbos / Easterners in Nigeria so that the Commonwealth, UN, African Union and other international bodies will praise them and give them awards of oppression for their ill-treatment of an entire race.

In any case, Olusegun Obasanjo should have first and foremost arrested the American Government and dragged them to court for allowing such events like the opening of the Biafran Embassy on 29^th September 2001 and the voice of Biafra International Radio Station in America. Obasanjo, who in 2000 ordered the demolition of Odi Community in Bayelsa State, has been taking laws into his hands. The blood of Odi Community is now crying to Yahweh as did the innocent blood of Abel and Naboth. He shouldn’t rejoice yet because King Ahab and Cain did not escape punishment. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and his colleagues sincerely fought for Nigerian independent and no harm was done to them by the British colonialists.

Uwazuruike and MASSOB are agitating for the Biafran independence through non-violence, non-Exodus, still the Federal Government of Nigeria sees them and the entire Easterners as their greatest enemies, while Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) used to kill innocent people here and there with their weapons of war, yet no authority punished them.

It is time for us Biafrans to be prepared to lay down our lives for the struggle through non-violence and non-Exodus. We should remember someone like Nelson Mandela, a freedom fighter who spent 27 years in  prison and later came out became the President of South Africa. Why can’t we act in the same way for the emancipation of our peoples in Nigeria? Nigerians must come to an end.

It is  also time for us to prove our ability, integrity, personality and dignity as the oriental people because all the good things started from the East. Compare the people of Israel and the rest of the world and see that they are the blessed people, they lack nothing, only that sometimes they disobey the father-not heeding his laws, ordinances and statutes-and Yahweh also rejected them because of their stiff-necked. When you fail to heed to the instruction of your father, what do you think you can achieve? Biafrans must shine forth. Biafra is real, Biafra must stand. Obasanjo should let the Biafrans go; Yahweh Elohim is calling them---- allow them to go to their promised land, Obasanjo let the Biafrans go!!!!!!!

My fellow readers, as we all know, I started this awesome write up mentioning Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and MASSOB, but since many years ago Ralph Uwazuruike was no longer fighting for the freedom of Biafra. At his initial stage he started very well, but all of a sudden he deviated and become a politician, with every desire of mongering for national cake from Aso-Rock Abuja. Have you seen a freedom fighter who is  also a money monger?

That evil idea of Uwazuruike has made me to denounce MASSOB and their activities before I left Biafran land for Greece. He used the Biafrans who are under his leadership as the sacrificial lambs. He purposely hand their lives over to Nigerian security operatives. He is dancing to the tune of the money he collected from Nigerian government, before he dropped the agitation of Biafran freedom. And under the watch of Uwazuruike, many MASSOB members have been sent to their early grave because of the selfishness of Uwazuruike, because he combined freedom fighting with devilish politics.

In freedom fighting, those concerns suppose to believe in fairness, equity, and justice and to follow the principles and rules of fighting for people’s freedom. A freedom fighter is the one who fears no intimidation, oppression or suppression or tyrannical actions of those opposing you to stop fighting, no matter how the going gets tough.

What could be the meaning of a freedom fighter?

A freedom fighter is a person who thinks his native ethnic group is not free, and is working to have freedom for his group or people. Most often, this means that a freedom fighter wants his people to have own nation and independency and / or to get rid of oppressors. People who think like that are said to think  in a nationalist way.

Freedom fighter is a relativistic term- this means a person decides from his or her point of view if he can call some people or groups freedom fighters or not. Freedom fighter is a positive term-this means that he or she calls a person “freedom fighter” only if he or she supports the goal of the freedom fighter.

If people do not support his goals; they probably use more negative terms like insurgent, terrorist, rebel or criminal.  Freedom fighters are often called terrorists by their opponents if they hurt civilians. However not all freedom fighters hurt civilians.

Some freedom fighters damage the opposing military. Some freedom fighters damage property-this is called sabotage. There are also freedom fighters who do not use violence at all. For example: Mahatma Gandhi; and the Dalai Lama.

The Qualities of freedom fighters

The qualities are as follow:-

1.    A freedom fighter is a person with vision who thinks outside the box

2.   He or she is able to assume responsibilities.

3.   He or she is able to choose people of consequence for the right task ahead.

4.   He or she is diligent or resolute in their duties.

5.   A freedom fighter is able to communicate.

6.   He or she can be consistent and predictable.

7.   He or she can focus and get the job done without compromising.

8.   8. A freedom fighter can delegate authority and responsibility.

9.   He or she is able to garner local and world support.

10.                A freedom fighter is able to keep track of what is being done; and who is doing it.

11. He or she can hold people accountable for their mistakes, and take appropriate action.

12. A freedom fighter  has the ability to learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others.

13.    Able to recognize when loyalty is warranted, and when it is not.

14.    Able to listen.

Able to nurture and inspire people to reach higher achievements

15.    Able to punish and demote people.

16.   Able to put their egos aside and step down when asked to.

17.   Able to recognize faults and good points in people.

18.   Able to recognize their own weakness.

19.   Able to say no to their friends.

20.   Able to set a good example.

21.   Able to work under pressure.

22.  Able to work with others.

23.  Good character.

24.  Have qualities that motivate the troops further.

25. Only expatriates who are well known and respected, should be considered.

26.  They are trustworthy.

27.  They are committed to the cause.

28.  They are competent in what they do.

29.  They are able to learn new things.

30.  They are really courageous.

31.  They are really able to solve problem.

They are really able to possess these qualities. Now ask yourself, Am I as a freedom fighter, do I have those qualities? Did Ralph Uwazuruike possess these qualities? From all these qualities of a freedom fighter, one must possess  at least 40% to 50%, if not 80%, because in our individual lives, there must be imperfection which I tagged as “BUT.” For example: this person is a freedom fighter, but is also a money monger, which has led him or her to extract money from the group. That tells us that peoples expectations from you must be at least 40% to 60% in freedom fighter’s qualities.

Crosscheck yourself now as we are fighting for the freedom of Biafra with IPOB and Radio Biafra under the leadership of our beloved Nnamdi Kanu-the Director of Radio Biafra and the commander in Chief of Biafran Army / Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

We should stop every vile of intimidation, oppression, servitude among us and learn from our past mistakes because dwelling in mistakes kill many people who are claimed to be freedom fighter, like Ralph Uwazuruike.

The Igbo States in Mess on Ihiala LGA Association Anniversary 2007.

IHIALA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA ASSOCIATION (I.L.G.A.A )ON  A DECADE ANNIVERSARY 2007

"THE IGBO STATES IN MESS"BY SENIOR NNAMDI OBODOECHI

Senior Elder Nnamdi OBODOECHI

There is no gain saying that the Eastern part of Nigeria could be described as the worst States without functioning infrastructure for the citizenry. Nor can the inhabitants of this part of Nigeria and the two tiers of governments local and State, both past and present, could beat their chest and be bold enough to challenge other fellow Nigerians, that we, the Igbo States, have good roads, pure drinking water steady power supply and security of lives and properties.

The Federal Government of Nigeria left the Igbos and their cousins behind without taking the appropriate care of their lives and properties. It is only zone 5 Police Command Benin City, Edo State, which is controlling the five Igbo speaking States (i.e. land of rising sun).The one in Calabar is controlling Cross Rivers, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. It was only recently; after much outcry by the easterners did the Federal government deems it necessary to approve the Zone 9 Command, Umuahia, which is controlling Igbo speaking States, yet we suffer insecurity of lives and properties.

Should the Igbos continue with insecurity of lives and properties and lack of infrastructures so that life will abound? No airport, aerodrome, or stadium. The ones we have were built by individual efforts, even the River Niger Wharf at Onitsha awarded during Shagari regime was abandoned.

The contracts for these infrastructures were awarded to few “big men or powerful contractors,’’ but they were not executed. But the most unfortunate occurrences are that these contracts were awarded without an atom of care from those who awarded them to monitor the contractors, because they squandered half of the money for the contracts. The activities of these unscrupulous contractors affected not one, but all the eastern States. The case of Anambra State is simply outrageous. Pardon me if I am particular, but charity begins at home.

It will be to the best interest of all road users if the Federal Government of Nigeria should pay attention to the Federal roads in the East, e.g. Onitsha-Owerri Road and Benin-Agbor Road. Most of these roads have been awarded to one contractor or the other; for a couple of time, almost ten times, without any job done up to date. The Onitsha-Oba Airport was obvious to the Easterners that some Nigerian prominent contractors / business men bribed the Federal government to abandon the job.

To some Nigerians, all these unfortunate situations in the Eastern part may be a joke, but kindly take a trip to the eastern States, and see wonders of under-developed at the expense of tax payers’ sweat.

Should I say that the Federal Government of Nigeria does not understand the semantic of their nasty character towards the blessed Easterners? Mostly their impediment over the Igbos and their cousins is too high, without knowing the appropriate meaning of the capital word “IGBOS.’’ It means the Intellectuals of Good, Biding Order (IGBO). We the Igbos must know who we are in the sight of God in the first place and hold God sincerely without any mixture of religion.

Nigeria would have been the Japan of Africa, of which all other African countries suppose to emulate from, but due to mismanagement by the said leaders, they messed up the country. Can we join hands and lift Nigeria up with this new President or do we still scatter her more and more? The answer to this question is left for you.

The Libyans Do Not Rejoice Yet

                THE LIBYANS DO NOT REJOICE YET

Stupidity is an act of selfishness and cowardice. A leader like Gadhafi died like a commoner or a miscreant in the Street. Who lost? Is it not a lesson for the African leaders and some leaders in the world?

Do you realise that whoever killed his father has already attracted curses? You just plot to kill a man who built Libyan country as it is, before the crisis sprout out. I want the Libyans to know that they scattered their beautiful country which no hand can rebuilt to its beauty or greater height as it was.

Is it not lack of wisdom and understanding that pushes you to kill your beloved father who loved and cherished all the citizens of Libya? For example, it is hard for us to see the Libyans outside the world for greener pasture, unless for the issue of scholarship and summer holidays. You have drawn the line of coming Europe to seek asylum.

Since you choose to suffer by allowing the Europeans and western world in, to destroy your country, there is no how that you will not suffer in many cruel ways. Do you know that it is easy to destroy than to rebuild. I do not support Gadhafi for ruling his people for 42 years, then his people said they don’t want him any longer, but it is only one state were not in support of him, because Gadhafi was killed some people through overthrown government there before he became the president. And before the western world joined him to eradicate and destroyed Libya.

The country that took Gadhafi 42 years to build is now in turmoil. Who loose? When will Africans and their leaders realize that the Europeans (Whites) western world is the cause of our problem- according to what Walter Rodney wrote in his book title “How Europe underdeveloped Africa, which states “The development of Europe is underdevelopment of Africa.” It will be a sad News or story to see the Libyans scattering through the world. Libyans cry for yourselves because what you do to yourselves is a tragedy. Meditate and think twice about that because the real future of the Libya I know before should not be so bright again. The Country is now divided into two parts, the side of Gadhafi and other Tribes- how can they cope up in oneness?  The Libyan future now is in the hand of God.

All the African leaders should learn their lessons from what Gadhafi personally and his citizens has done to Libya one of the beautiful Countries of Africa. I will like a situation where the African leaders should wake up from their slumber and forge ahead with the fear of Yahweh and mutual respect for their citizens. The evil acts of most leaders today made me to ask, where the dividends and qualities of a good leader in them is. When the leaders in the world, mostly in Africa circle realize the importance of their citizen, then things will begin pave its shape in the continent and it could be the only thing that will tackle the problem of Africa, not focusing on white for aid because it increases the crisis in Africa.

Now all the debts the European and the western world owes Gadhafi is confiscated, and I also heard President Barrack Obama saying of Libya Government balancing the America some money for what they spent on the war. If I may ask, “Who invite the America, Europeans and the rest of the western world to that war?’’ I stand the chance to say, they are fighting for their own selfish interest or purposes. African leaders wake up because we can not be slaves forever to the western world. Be wise for time has passed when Africans and their leaders should stop following the Europeans / western world- dancing to their tune. Africans / leaders- stand on your rights, don’t allow the westerners to use you anymore.

How many western world Governors, ministers, and presidents have an account in African banks? While the leaders of Africa formed it as habit of ferrying the money from our mineral resources to western banks because they lack the basis. Do you know how many trillion of dollars late President Gadhafi has in the bank in the western world? Today all the money have gone, tell me if such huge amount of money is been kept in Africa bank, no one will dare to seize the money.

Yahweh bless you as you read to understand the semantic of this write up about late president Gadhafi and the Libyans.

Need to Review The Marriage Process in Igboland- The Difference Feb 11 2008

NEED TO REVIEW THE MARRIAGE PROCESS IN IGBOLAND

THE DIFFERENCE FEBRUARY 11, 2008

BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI (OJUKWU OF GREECE)

PAGE 35

 IKO NKWU

IHIOMA NNAMDI- MY BELOVED DAUGHTER

ON TRADITIONAL WEAR BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI.

Marriage is a union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. It was established by God the Almighty from the beginning of creation. As we read in Genesis 2:21-24, “For Adam was caused to fall into a deep sleep and he slept and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib which Yahweh Elohim had take from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.’’

Many definitions have been given to marriage from different schools of thought, but marriage in its full meaning is “an association of the two opposite sexes (male / female) to form a common nomenclature.’’

To make this possible, Yahweh Almighty created everything male and female. Let us not to forget that God’s purpose in creation was to give us a happy life. One of the ways in which He does this is through the marriage arrangement. Satan, however, has misled many people, including our traditional rulers, to make the marriage process a very difficult one through the demand for exorbitant dowry or a long list of presents which many of our sons cannot afford.

A case in point is Mbano, Imo State, where the process the process of marriage has been made particularly hard. Even some local government areas in Anambra State have fallen into this trap, thus pushing many of our boys into marrying from different places where the cost of marriage is very low without minding the consequences.

The time have come for us to correct the system so as to enable our youths to marry without too much demands being made on them by their prospective in-laws. This would drastically reduce the problem of our sons and daughters staying in their parents’ home without getting married. As God says in his everlasting word: “He who find a wife, finds favour from the Lord.’’ We have to make the marriage process favourable to both sides so that the couple would be able to live happily after marriage according to God’s perfect will.

Let us make every effort to put things right by making the marriage process flexible and fair so as to reduce the stresses which hang on our necks today. How can we do this? First, I suggest that the marriage process / dowry should be the same in all parts of Igboland. All the chiefs, Igwes in each village / town should come together and agree on a common (tradition) marriage law as the exorbitant cost of marriage in Igbo land has clearly become a barrier to happiness to many of our people. The law when formulated should be widely circulated in all the clans through town unions. Each village / town should have her own copy, and any failure to abide by it should attract a reasonable fine.

Implementing such a (tradition) marriage law would further boost our culture and hopefully inspire neighbouring tribes to reform their customs.

Incidentally, the culture of Igbos used to be admired by other tribes and the entire world because the Igbos are Jews in Diaspora, but today we have so bastardised our good culture which God gave us because everyone likes to sound Western without realizing that much of Western culture leads to destruction because of its devilish content.

We have to value what we have and be proud of our God given culture in Igbo land / Nigeria, not running after Western cultures which endanger our lives and can alienable us from God.

Marriage is meant to be a thing of happiness to the couple involved, including their families. Consequently, we have to reduce the demands made on our would-be in-laws because no matter what we take from our in-laws, it will never fully compensate for what we spent to train our daughters. We should bear it in mind that our daughters are not for sale, so our parents should stop seeing their in-laws as trees that can produce money. As our people say, the fowl obtained from Idol, that is “Okuko agwotara n’ ogwu n’ eso ogwu ala.’’

Obodoechi, a.k.a De Ojukwu of Greece,is The Difference’s Contributing Writer in Europe.

Why Africa is Poor And Africans Suffer In The Difference Preview Edition

THE DIFFERENCE PREVIEW EDITION

PAGE 32

WHY AFRICA IS POOR AND AFRICANS SUFFER

BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI

In most cases in Africa, those who by virtue of the public offices they occupy are supposed to care for and protect the citizens, tend to see them as animals fit only to be hunted and killed.

“Most African rulers do not value the lives and welfare of their citizens. Their main concern in seeking public office appears to be to feather their own nests, which explains why to them getting into office is often a matter of life and death.’’

Take Nigeria, for example. Those in power tend not to care for the masses, and take pleasure in making false promises to the citizens. Rather than work hard to solve the problems confronting the people, successive governments and most public office holders have chosen to compound the problems of the ordinary citizens. Going by the enormous natural resources in Nigeria and the huge sums of money available to the government, the country is supposed to be rubbing shoulder with advanced nations such as the United States of America and Japan in terms of development and attention given to the welfare of the citizens. Rather than work in this direction, those in authority get busy looting the public treasury while making empty claims that Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, is the giant of the continent.

How can we be the giant of Africa when Nigerians cannot enjoy basic facilities which are taken for granted in other parts of the world? Nigerian rulers (that’s what I think they truly are) are indeed a shameless lot. if not, I don’t see how they are able to carry on as if all is well when the country cannot boast of even things like good road network, pipe-borne water and stable power supply. These are things which are enjoyed elsewhere even by citizens of less endowed nations.

How can Nigeria be claiming to be the giant of Africa when hunger is ravishing the land and when insecurity of lives and property is lot of the people? Poverty is increasing day after day. This applies to comfort zone for the masses; not in the rural areas as well as in the big towns and cities. What a shame! What a tragic situation!

In Nigeria and most other parts of Africa, it is only the wealthy people that enjoy a semblance of security. For the rest of the people, their unenviable lot is what Nigerians cal O-Y-O, meaning “On your own.’’ The worse of it is that, in addition to not being provided with protection from criminals, they also come under attack from those who are paid to protect them! So the people, no matter how law-abiding they may be, have to walk about like sheep without a shepherd. My interpretation of this is that most African rulers do not value the lives and welfare of their citizens. Their main concern in seeking public office appears to be to feather their own nests, which explains why to them getting into office is often a matter of life and death.

Those of us who left our beloved homeland in search of greater pasture in Europe are daily confronted with evidence of the fact that what seems to be germane to our rulers important to many African public office holders is the looting the treasury of Africa and ferrying these abroad for the whites to use and develop their areas. We know that some of the best houses in Europe are owned by African public servants-turned-masters and exploiters, and that they are among the best customers of the elitist banks over here.

What I find hard to understand is how these so called African leaders are able to sleep in peace when they return home after each of their frequent foreign trips. I say this because when they visit Europe and America and parts of even Asia, they see how things are done and how things are supposed to be done. How they are able to carry on thereafter as if all is well back home truly beats my imagination.

Here is Europe; it is hard for someone to discern who is poor and who is rich. Government caters for everyone, irrespective of his / her social or economic status. People are guaranteed a reasonable standard of security and an equally reasonable standard of living.

Whenever something harmful threatens or happen to the citizens, the police would promptly heed the call and come to the rescue. This shows that they realise the value of the life of every citizen and the meaning of democracy. Unlike the Nigerian police, they do not see the citizens as they do not see the citizens as trees that can produce money whenever requested to do so, especially at check point and police stations.

Here in Europe, as well as in most other parts of the world, you don’t have to buy your security, as the government is fully alive to its responsibility in this regard. This applies both in urban and rural areas. Another good thing is that every citizen enjoys the right to express his or her opinion on any issue under the sun, including pointing out the bad sides of the government. Rather than clamp down on whoever does this, the government pays attention and acts fast to make amends where necessary. I believe that this is another secret behind the development of Europe and other advanced parts of the world. Indeed no nation can hope to make meaningful progress in a situation where those authority assume an air of papal infallibility and see whoever expresses contrary opinion as an enemy that must be mercilessly crushed.

The disdain which many African public office holders have for their citizens can be seen in the way they relate with them. Talking of Nigeria of which I am quite familiar as a Nigerian, no poor person is allowed to enter the office of a local government chairman and have an audience with him, not to talk of that of a governor, a minister or the President himself. This speaks volumes of how inferior they take their citizens to be.

Obodoechi, a,k.a Dee Ojukwu of Greece, is The Difference’s Contributing Writer in Greece

Global Star Vol 2, No 19, 2005 Page 6-Beware, The Ifeajunas In Our Midst

GLOBAL STAR VOL. 2, NO. 19, 2005

PAGE 6

BEWARE, THE IFEAJUNAS IN OUR MIDST

BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI-BIAFRAN WRITER

To start with, every Igbo person and the entire Biafra should bear in mind or commit to memory all the good works for the agitation of the dream Republic of Biafra which Dim ChukwuEmeka Odumegwu Ojukwu-the Eze Igbo Gburu-Gburu-started and stoutly defended with his compatriots in 1967 to 70, but all his efforts were to no avail because of the secret activities of the Biafrans saboteurs. Though Ojukwu remains very much committed to securing the rights and freedom of his people in Nigeria, yet some people do not care or consider his cry / struggle for freedom because they lack the sense / knowledge of God.

I wish to advise these Biafran saboteurs to check out and consider themselves as IFEAJUNA and his bad gangs /boys who sabotaged Biafra during the war. I wish to ask these saboteurs: “Where are IFEAJUNA and his families / boys today in Biafra land?” I will like to advise them to change for the good now, if not, what happened to IFEAJUAN and his bad companies will surely come to these modern saboteurs of Biafra. Let us remember the gravity of this type of injustice of betraying our people, and let us remember that God hates any acts of rebellion by his children.

I have gone round the East to see if there is anyone who named his son IFEAJUNA, but I could not see even a single one. Why? Because we know what is good and evil within ourselves. In the olden days and this present age, our parents told us the history of EMMANUEL IFEAJUNA and his bad groups, how they sold Biafra to Nigeria during the war of genocide, thus causing our defeat during the civil war.

Most of us do not heed the instructions of the elders like Ojukwu and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, calling them all sorts of insulting names. Are they calling them stupid people because Chief Ralph abandoned his legal profession and sacrificed his life for the struggle and Ojukwu used his father’s money to fight for our freedom? Oh! It’s only Ikemba and very few people in Biafra land who have vowed to die for the cause of emancipation of Biafra while other unscrupulous citizens, on the other hand, have vowed to die in sabotaging their efforts, kicking against the move for freedom, claiming to be our elders, but they are wolves in the midst of sheep.

Let us stop suppressing the good works of Ojukwu, Uwazuruike and MASSOB, but let us support what is good and be our brother’s keeper. May we all support Biafra struggle and imbibe the following qualities, which I consider necessary for the success of the struggle:-

a)    Get connected

b)   Commitments and method

c)    Having the Spirit of sympathy

d)   Sacrifice yourself and time as a sacrificial lamb.

e)   Having good ambition.

f)    Having faith and good works including endurance with the fear of God towards the struggle.

g)   Knowing and understanding the true value of what you are fighting for.

h)   Hating the unscrupulous people and citizens who turn their blind eyes to the needs of our people instead of assisting the struggle.

i)     Exemplary lives are needed as a skillful builder.

j)    The issue of majority and minority should be abolished, nullified or cancelled in the Biafra states because it is the cause of Nigeria’s problem today. We are one and there should be no intimidation, oppression, servitude and backbiting in the entire states of Biafra. We must give the cap to whom the cap fits and faithfully follow the true leadership.

Finally, we have to wipe away the corruption which we attracted from Nigeria before entering the promised land of Biafra, so that we will reap from our labours with the shout of joy because we sow in tears in Nigeria. Let us provide hope through support and nurture and pray always for the betterment of Biafra. Biafra is our target in the land of the living; nothing should be allowed to stop it.

‘’Let us stop suppressing the good works of Ojukwu, Uwazuruike and MASSOB, but let us support what is good and be our brother’s keeper.’’

A case for Revisiting of Nigeria’s Amalgamation-THE DIFFERENCE SPECIAL EDITION, OCTOBER 2007

A case for Revisiting of Nigeria’s Amalgamation-THE DIFFERENCE SPECIAL EDITION, OCTOBER 2007

PAGE 35 

                                                                                         BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI

Every October 1 Nigeria marks the anniversary of her independence from British rule 47 years ago. Whereas the celebration sees millions of Nigerians in high spirit, the opposite is the case with me.

For me, every October 1 is a day of sober reflection and of deep regrets over the fact that this “mere geographical expression” as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo aptly put it continues to survive as one country. In fact, every October 1, I feel embittered in my soul about the British through Lord Luggard for amalgamating the Northern and southern Protectorates with the colony of Lagos to form Nigeria in 1914. I see that singular act of amalgamation as a big mistake and the beginning of our problems. I therefore wish to submit that it must be reviewed by the United Nations.

I believe that a sovereign nation should be one made up of people of the same language, culture, ethnicity and geographical features.

Taking a case study of Europe, where I have lived for some years now, every nation over here speaks the same language and has the same culture. Greece, for example, has only one language (Greek) and the same culture. Let me quickly say that countries are not formed on the basis of population, as some are smaller than others, such as Luxemburg, which population is not up to 10 million people!

This is a clear opposite of many forcefully married African countries. In the case of Nigeria, this artificial country has a population of over 140 million people with different languages, cultures, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.

One wonders why Africa’s colonial masters had to amalgamate people of different cultures, ethnicities, religions and languages. What the reason may be, it was done to promote their own selfish interests.

May I point out that the world has ceased to be what it was during the colonial era, when the amalgamation of people that God had created to live independently as sovereign entities was seen as the right thing to do. In Nigeria’s case, it ought to be clear to everyone that the experiment has failed. Rather that bring peace, development and happiness, amalgamation has brought war, marginalisation, gross denial of human rights and needless deaths. What evil consequences of the sad experiment in the amalgamation of African peoples by the British, the French and the Portuguese!

The truth is that Nigeria has largely been held together by force of arms. One evident demonstration of this is the unwarranted continued detention of Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, an Igbo lawyer whose only offence is that he formed the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) to champion the non-violent struggle for an independent homeland for his marginalised people. I wish to remind the Nigerian authorities of the hypocrisy of continued insistence that no one must leave Nigeria when the British at a point listened to the voice of reason and acceded to the request of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and his contemporaries  for Nigeria’s independence, which the government has commemorated ever since on every October 1. This was done in a very peaceful manner with no bloodshed, but today no one in Nigeria can agitate for his / her rights (including the rights to self determination) without tasting the brutality of Nigeria security operatives. Take for example, the condemnable incident where the Nigerian police brutally killed 68 MASSOB members in Imo State for agitating for the revival of the Biafra Nation as the best way to free Igbos / other Biafrans from hatred, marginalisation, intimidation, oppression and unwarranted killings.

We have fought a costly civil war over this issue of separation and we are not praying for a second was in Nigeria, rather, what we are praying is for peaceful division because a second war would have devastating consequences for everyone.

I wish to appeal to our former colonial masters to reconsider their decision of 1914 concerning Nigeria as a country of different cultures, languages and of ethnic groups; I urge them to approach and work together with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to work out ways for the peaceful division of Nigeria.

“I see that singular act of amalgamation as a big mistake and the beginning of our problems. I therefore wish to submit that it must be reviewed by the United Nations.’’

Nigerians, I tell you, would be better off if they live independently God created them to be. Peace and unity would reign, thus reducing the high level of frustration which keeps which driving millions of Nigerians abroad to be a huge burden on the rest of the world but especially to the West. Better late than never.

Obodoechi is The Difference’s Contributing Writer in Greece.

I Weeep For NIgeria-- And Pray For Biafra Part 2 on SunRise Vol. 2 No 2, 2004

I WEEP FOR NIGERIA… AND PRAY FOR BIAFRA (II) –SUNRISE VOL. 2 NO 2, 2004

ATHENS CALLING

BY NNAMDI OBODOECHI

a.k.a Nwa Biafra

                                            In Athens, Greece

                                            E-mail: nwabiafra2003@yahoo.com

Including the first part of this piece last week, I made it clear that Nigerian politics is not for the believers or the righteous ones. In fact, it is not just the politics that is satanic but the entire sense of values. Come to think of it, should we allow such people like General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) the Abacha boys along with Abacha’s family and cronies who have embezzled huge amounts of money to continue to display their ill-gotten wealth-even glorifying them –while the general masses continues to suffer in abject poverty? It is this glorifying of corruption that  has made many more people to take to the path of corruption, and the result is that poverty is highly increasing in Nigeria despite the poverty alleviation programmes embarked upon by the government of General Olusegun Obasanjo.

The methods of their operation looks like those of Haman, the enemy of Jews, Pharaoh of Egypt, Jezebel and Ahab. These pillars of corruption should ask themselves, “What shall my reward be in the day of Judgment?” The Book of Genesis 6:vs 3,5-6 May well have been referring to such ones when it said that Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great on Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.“ And Yahweh was sorry that He has made man on the Earth, and it grieved him to his heart.’’ (See also Matthew 6 vs 24-33.

“For all saboteurs of Biafra, I wish to let them know that the spirit of dead Biafrans is waiting for any Biafran elders or youth who persist in working against the interests of his people just for the sake of materialism or to please the Nigerian government.’’

One English adage has it that every uncharitable act boomerangs and that when it is boomeranging, the person now regrets his actions which he had taken in the past. This is the law of retributive judgment (See Rev.13 vs 10).

Those governing Nigeria do not respect the oaths they swore to before taking the mantle of leadership. They disregard the Nigerian anthem, which they ought to uphold in all sincerity

Nigeria is indeed the country of the absurd. Under normal circumstances, and in normal societies, soldiers are not supposed to rule, and they do not rule; rather, they face their major occupation, which is to defend their country against external aggression. But today in Nigeria, the soldiers are either ruling, deciding who rules, or brutally suppressing internal agitations-a duty ordinarily reserved for the police. Even so, Igbos (Biafrans) find themselves marginalized in the Nigerian armed and paramilitary services such as the Army, Navy, Air force, Police SSS and even Customs.

All these have contributed to make Nigeria a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. All said and done, the soldiers have no ruling competence inculcated in them, and as such are not competent to rule. Obasanjo’s disastrous rule has made this all the more evident. Now that he has succeeded in forcing himself on Nigerians for another term of four years, let him divide Nigeria, so that peace will reign. That is the best legacy he can leave for Nigeria.

Finally, I have nothing but harsh words for Eastern Elders who are ever prepared to die in Aso Rock, the seat of doom, for crumbs of the so called national cake, selling the rights of NdiIgbo / Easterners in Nigeria. Are these people not aware that we are Biafrans, the blessed people of Yahweh? Why can’t they emulate Moses, who identified with his fellow Israelites?

For all saboteurs of Biafra, I wish to let them know that the spirit of dead Biafrans is waiting for any Biafran elders or youth who persist in working against the interests of his people just for the sake of materialism or to please the Nigerian government. We must be our brother’s keeper. Catch you again next week.