September 27, 2006

Margaret Ekpo: an Agent of Change: 1914 to 2006

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- She was born to Okoroafor Obiasulor family a native of Agulu-Uzo-Igbo, close to Awka Anambra State—and, Inyang Eyo Aniemewue of King Eyo dynasty of Creek Town in today’s Cross Rivers State.

Her political career was by accident. She got married to a medical practitioner, Dr. John Ekpo in 1938. Dr. Ekpo had great reservations for British colonial administrators but as a civil servant his hands were tired and as such could not participate in the populace-movement then, in their quest for freedom and end British colonialism. For this reason, Dr. Ekpo delegated his wife to represent him in these political actions as it were. Margaret Ekpo did not disappoint.

Margaret Ekpo began to participate in only male rallies with the support of her husband. Albeit in the beginning, she struggled to fit-in into the political mainstream, mostly dominated by male activists and politicians. She was the only women in the early days of her political career. She observed the likes of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Awolowo, Mazi Mbonu Ojike, M. I. Okpara, Jaja Nwachukwu, and Malam Aminu Kano, etc, confront foreign-occupiers with fiery speeches relentlessly and, relentlessly, putting their lives on the line. She allied herself with Flora Azikiwe, wife to Nnamdi Azikiwe, Olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti and others.

By early 40s or mid-fifties, she had made her mark. She was appointed to the House of Chiefs, alongside Olufunmilayo Bansome Kuti to the Western and the Eastern Houses of Chiefs respectively. By 1964, she has been nominated to represent Nigeria at the Inter-Parliamentary Conferences; represented Nigeria—in World Women’s International Domestic Federation conference in 1963; served as member of the parliament in 1960-66. She also served in many other consultative conferences on constitutional matters in the 50s and 60s and served in many other capacities.

She also assisted in forming many women organization for example: Aba Market Women Organization in Aba-Ngwa North; while, the husband worked in the famous Aba General Hospital.

As the British imperial-criminal-colonialism intensified across our frontiers so did rallies and protests matches intensified across the country against the British infamous policies against our peoples. There were many new carved out mottoes from the NCNC party Stewarts led by the likes: Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbart Macaulay, Mbonu Ojike and others who championed the freedom causes using different mechanisms and tactics including: “Boycott the boycottables” etc. Margaret Ekpo had little education according to records. She made it to standard six. However, due to her love for learning by 1948, with this enthusiasm for education, she obtained her Diploma from Dublin Ireland on Domestic Economics.

She was detained for three [3] years by the authorities of Peoples Republic of Biafra [PRB] for unspecified reasons. According to insiders report, she was detained for security reasons. It was gathered that she campaigned for the Balkanization of Biafra, calling for the creation of Calabar and Ogoja States respectively from the former Eastern Region.

But her greatest accomplishment was the formation of Women’s organization using salt as a weapon to make women register into women’s associations. The idea if that, if a woman registers with women organization, she automatically had access to salt to make food for her family. Salt monopoly by women’s organization was effective because women controlled and managed marketplace. Equally relevant to remember about salt tactic was the Salt-boycott deployed during Gandhi’s movement against the British aggressions/oppressions against Indians. Salt was Key to dislodge the British. Its fallouts precipitated into granting the Indians its independence in 1949 by the British authorities.

Margaret Ekpo showed resiliency and doggedness in her political career in the face of many challenges. In her words: “Campaigning around the country as a woman was not easy. Sometimes, our opponents would send thugs to throw stones, bottles and sticks at us. Some of us ended up in hospitals, severely traumatized, and with injuries. Sometimes, we were inconvenienced by having to sleep on floors or in the open air. It was not as at all easy, but we had to do it so that women cold begin to enjoy some of their entitlements today. Additionally, she contested elections and won.

“I faced seven men in that election, including late Barrister Anyiam Osigwe. I won the election, thus becoming the first woman to be so elected in Aba. I held that post until 1967 when the war [Nigeria civil war] broke out. I tabled many motions, argued, and got some of them passed into laws. My accomplishments paved the way for women who were interested in pursuing political careers, and motivated them to do so with greater confidence.”

Today many facilities and complexes have been named after Margaret Ekpo including, Margaret Ekpo International Airport—Calabar, Cross-River State.

Margaret Ekpo was a pace setter. Margaret Ekpo an agent of change has passed on to our ancestors. She will be remembered for her great contributions. She is survived by family members. May her soul rests in perfect peace, Amen!

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

All Copyrights Reserved………….

Posted by Administrator at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2006

Impeaching Atiku and Obasanjo: The Constitutional Immunity Clauses

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- In the past recent weeks, the nation-state, Nigeria, has witnessed not surprisingly, reports full of inconsistencies, inaccuracies, illogicalities, and funds moving criminally from one bank to another operated by the duo: Atiku and Obasanjo and their cronies. With EFCC, dwindling each passing day, there is increase in credibility crisis at its peak at the nation’s presidency in Abuja, Aso-Rock.

In my view, this illegitimate fund movement requires an investigation and possibly leads to impeachment. There has been mounting calls for impeachment of these two men: Atiku and Obasanjo, for alleged improprieties this eight year. Nonetheless, I will not bother readers with lists of old accusations and counter accusations. Though, there are staggering misappropriations on both sides. These issues have their constitutional merits. It is therefore the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly [NA] to set up ad-hoc committees to immediately investigate both the President and his Vice President over billions of dollars misplaced and mismanaged this eight years particularly the PTDF agency.

Constitutional scholars and political analysts have wondered what are the constitutional ramifications or implications at this time with respect to impeachment, as both the president and vice-president have constitutional immunity clauses that somehow shield them from being tried or prosecuted while in office. For these arguments, I have therefore attempted to draw your attention to:

In part, Section # 308 of the constitution to argue these postulations, and, constitutionally perhaps review the logic and illogic behind its merits and demerits.

Section #308:

(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Constitution,
but subject to subsection (2) of this section -

(a) no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or
continued against a person to whom this section applies during his
period of office;

(b) a person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or
imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of
any court or otherwise; and

(c) no process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance
of a person to whom this section applies, shall be applied for or
issued:

Provided that in ascertaining whether any period of limitation has
expired for the purposes of any proceedings against a person to whom
this section applies, no account shall be taken of his period of
office.

(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not apply
to civil proceedings against a person to whom this section applies
in his official capacity or to civil or criminal proceedings in
which such a person is only a nominal party.

(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of President
or Vice-President, Governor or Deputy Governor; and the reference in
this section to "period of office" is a reference to the period
during which the person holding such office is required to perform
the functions of the office.

Section #144:

(1) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office, if -

(a) by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all the members
of the executive council of the Federation it is declared that the
President or Vice-President is incapable of discharging the
functions of his office; and

(b) the declaration is verified, after such medical examination as
may be necessary, by a medical panel established under subsection
(4) of this section in its report to the President of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) Where the medical panel certifies in the report that in its
opinion the President or Vice-President is suffering from such
infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of
discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by
the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall be published in the Official Gazette of the
Government of the Federation.

(3) The President or Vice-President shall cease to hold office as
from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report
pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

(4) the medical panel to which this section relates shall be
appointed by the President of the Senate, and shall comprise five
medical practitioners in Nigeria:-

(a) one of whom shall be the personal physician of the holder of the
office concerned; and

(b) four other medical practitioners who have, in the opinion of the
President of the Senate, attained a high degree of eminence in the
field of medicine relative to the nature of the examination to be
conducted in accordance with the foregoing provisions.

(5) In this section, the reference to "executive council of the
Federation" is a reference to the body of Ministers of the
Government of the Federation, howsoever called, established by the
President and charged with such responsibilities for the functions
of government as the President may direct.

Some constitutional observers say NO, the immunity clause does not trump or supersede the impeachment clause. While in consensus, some legal scholars say no!!! The immunity clause does not trump the impeachment clause. Obviously, if an official challenged the constitutionality of impeachment proceedings, and cited the immunity clause, there and then, it falls within the jurisprudence and responsibility of the Supreme Court to determine the outcome or how the two clauses might be reconciled.

In this writer’s view, unwise outcome can cause untold damage to the national coherence as divided this state is. At this time of the nation, it could brew crisis if unwise ruling is handed down on and to the populace, which states that a power expressly granted to the legislature by the Constitution, to rein in officials who are deemed to have abused their offices and their powers as null and void, because it conflicts in some ways with grants of privileges to certain offices. Such a ruling will amount to a finding that some government officials are of course ahead or above the law which, in-so-far, have been displayed at various pedestals of this presidency.

Accordingly to Fubara David-West: “One can only hope that in jurisprudential practice, the immunity clauses will not be interpreted as covering only official conduct, which neither amount to a criminal act, nor is initiated during a period of an illegal political government. Also I do not think that these events will set the nation ablaze. In the end, the fire and its embers will probably burn both camps and their allied classes, while leaving the state's democratizing institutions as virile and progressive as ever.”

Apparently these views and others remain very uncertain as to the direction of impeaching the president and the vice president will land the fragile nation to. Some have delusional views as to what the outcome will be. Others believe that rather than confront our demons today, some wants the evil days postponed. By application it is even more delusional for men in power to think that the state is wrapped up in their individual delusional egos and nothing else matters. Culturally and politically, it is self-evident that cultural and political forces unleashed by the President Obasanjo without looking at his personal record in recent past, have done more damage to his credibility to lead the campaign on corruption. However-so, he might have set the stage to cure many political operatives in Nigeria of their cultural delirium, and lead to a fully “democratized polity”.
But with more exposures from Atiku, Vice President seems to be on the loose, there is no end in sight of exposing the president for all he knows about him for all to see.

Just today according to report from Akin Durodola, Abdul Musediq, Akeem Nafu and Taiwo Adisa, it seems Atiku is on the offensive. According to the reporters, there are more startling revelations which have made it to the airwaves over the controversial Petroleum Technology Development Fund [PTDF] account:

Vice President Atiku Abubakar remarked that out of $700 million realized in 2002/2003, only $145 million was released or reported to PTDF. And this is coming in the heels of reaction from VP, to Olusegun Obasanjo’s camp that there was no approval for the deposit of PTDF funds with the Equatorial Trust Bank [ETB] and the Tran International Bank [TIB]. The foregoing release was by VP’s Media consultant, Mallam Shehu, today, Sunday, September 17, 2006, who alleged that the President Obasanjo abused his office by withholding some facts concerning PTDF account. I guess at this point the pertinent question been asked is: Where is the remaining balance, since $700 million was realized during 2002/2003 bidding rounds but only the sum of $145 million was released to the PTDF?

Who used it and under which law authorized this appropriation sub-head?

Folks as you can see things have fallen apart as they are no-longer at ease. Other observers are calling on the Nigerian Senate and the National Assembly convenes immediately to proceed with impeachment proceedings. Dododawa at Naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com remarked: “Nigerian Senate plus the House of Assembly -- should convene immediately and stop this very shameful exchanges going on between OBJ and his VP. It is more like which thief stole more money -- you or me kind of stuff. It is shameful that the so called entire Nigeria actually claimed to have voted for OBJ in 1999 and of course what happened in 2003 if the stuff of history. The two houses should throw both of them out of office and immediately.”
Evidently, from the above commentaries and others it shows how the citizenry feel about the impact of this national and international shame; what it has become for Nigerians who have self-esteem, who live in the homeland and Diaspora.

Another observer added: “To impeach Obasanjo and Atiku now would mean that Nigeria will have to change that constitution first because the two are protected by the "immunity clause." They know about this before becoming reckless with our money. Without the immunity I should have supported their impeachment, and that would mean that Nigerian nascent democracy is strong. We cannot continue to be afraid of the consequences all the time. We have to take chance sometimes without minding the consequence.”

Friends, no nation strives for betterment today without risks, tasks, challenges and constraints unless utopia-nation, otherwise it is something else. This writer is all for immediate convening of the National Assembly [NA] to begin with investigation, and other impeachment protocols in order to dispose-with ones and for all the nemesis: Atiku and Obasanjo, to start with. They are total embracement. They are a national and international shame if they know what shame really is anymore. Impeachment will assist the republic reduce the damages already done to her; but invariably will not address the pandemic itself, the decadence and mother—corruption that have destroyed all known human values, ethics and principles.

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

All Copyrights Reserved………….

Posted by Administrator at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2006

The Making of a Nation or Disintegration of a Nation

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- There are lots of ramifications, courage, conditionalities, sacrifices, etc, involved in crafting a nation off of this situational landscape—Nigeria, for her to become a true-nation.

It is therefore an altruism that from the aforementioned conceptualizations, it is my considered opinion that the member-state called Nigeria is not yet a nation; but rather it is a geographical expression made up of nations-states—an accidental engineering that is trying to become a nation if all the stake-holders at stake agree[s], treated fairly and squarely. Otherwise, over time, it will practically and markedly disintegrate.

I hate to use Europe and North America as my yardstick or measuring benchmarks, for other nation’s challenges, constraints, proficiencies, capacities or lack of it thereof. Nevertheless, I will attempt were possible to reduce the tendency of doing exactly that. May I unequivocally state, that it is egregious, irresponsibility on the side of the feds to declare shot at sight orders inside Niger Basin or what some call Niger-Delta. These actions/orders evidently have triggered promptly indiscriminate, mass killings of our peoples; rapes, and other crimes against our humanity. This criminal behavior is pretty much alarming. The shoot at sight option does not by any means make a nation livable, rather such actions create chaos, facilitate the emancipation of more nations-states inside the bogus-nation, called Nigeria. It is this writer considered opinion therefore, and without hesitations—condemns this criminal aggression against the Niger-Basin peoples and warn the fed to stop its criminality against this people today or face unbearable consequences from the citizenry. I have in the past communicated via articles, that military option is no option; dialogue, diplomacy should be vigorously considered.

No institution, be it multinationals or any other in this category has a monopoly of violence. Violence breeds violence. Not even the Americans or Muslim fundamentalists in gulf peninsula can claim monopoly of violence, their military might, notwithstanding. There is limit to what these suffering masses can take. Iraq and Afghanistan is a typical example of these expressions of violence that begot violence. Make no mistake, given time—there will be increased and strengthened militancy in defense of peoples’ freedom to choose in these lands, which rightfully belongs to her, etc. An aggression against this people will, if appropriate care is not taken, escalate this war.

Under conflict resolution conceptualized texts, it is arguably believed that War is a necessary component toward making a nation, peaceful; correct me, under this argument if it is wrong with a rebuttal of your own. From ancient days, power has always belonged to the people. All that the people needs is consistent leadership for proper guidance to actualize their freedom from aggressors. It is this power concept that can bring them self-rule, freedoms, liberties irrespective of better fighting equipment were necessary which, would usher in true nationalism.

By 1776 America gained its independence from the imperial British powers in Downing Street—that shocked Privy-Council in London. It took blood and sweet to actually and finally win such engagement. Folks, I am talking about sacrifice, dedication and love for nation. French Revolution in 1700 through 1800 took similar turn for her to be free from foreign imperialism, including, German occupation if its land, after WWI & WWII. In fact, Europe as a whole in its revolt against oppressive regimes, that rapidly ushered in its nation-states, vis-à-vis industrial-revolution; supported by massive workers uprising against landowners/lords that made it possible.

In Cuba, the making of the nation in 1959 Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro butted, American backed Batista’s capitalist regime and ushered in a new Cuba. A new nation was born for its citizenry that enthroned work-ethics, character, love for nation, quality-education for all Cubans. These accomplishments have sustained her till today. Cuban doctors are in high demand in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Have you wondered why? Answer: it takes staying steady and principled and uncompromising leadership qualities to pull it off.

By 1927, Russians Stalin moved quickly, to butt-out Czars aggressions alongside landowners that oppressed the landless working people. However, due to lies and corruption in Kremlin, after 70 years of its reign it could no longer provide bread for its peoples hence its attended collapse. The people lined up all day without bread. By 1999 Perestroika and Glasnost under Mikhail Gobechav administration started a re-construction, a new Russia, that summarily dismissed party lords and finally Russians can make decisions for themselves. The collapse of former Soviet Union [USSR] became real because the people believed in themselves for change. Freedom to its different republics were unstoppable and thus emergence of Countries of Independent States [CIS] or countries with economies in transition. Liberty, freedom became the admirable singing platitudes at its platforms.

In our backyard, J.J. Rawlings of Ghana, and his colleagues made history for Ghana by cleansing her of looters that have pillaged her. Today Ghana regardless of its pitfalls is respected and can engage in technical matters, commerce and international trading negotiations amongst the comity of nations boldly, firmly with integrity.

In Red China, witnessed a sweeping takeover of the ruling blocs from its British imperial influence in its shores that contributed to the freedom and independent-States India and Pakistan albeit, some of them are still going through changes but there is rule of law in the land. India in particular is doing its stuff, and has resisted foreign dominance over its soil and resources. Its movement and choice became a primordial benchmark that launched her into nationalism. China today, has become an emerging economy, a rising sun off of Asian-Peninsula, which surprising over time will position itself as strong global-competitor, a global-economic threat to United States dominance, and squeeze its strategic interests in the global market-economy.

What’s the heck is wrong with ECOWAS countries or SSA bloc? In ECOWAS member states, led by the bogus Nigeria-state which, according to other observers, does not exist in real sense of it has dominated the SSA bloc. In reality, others argue that Nigeria, is a geographical expression of pseudo-nationalism that have corrupted the macrocosm of the small neighboring member-states, for example, Togo, Liberia, Togo, Sierra-Leone and what not. Those claiming and championing its [Nigeria] cause for nation-hood do not have credibility to accomplish such a herculean-task, so to speak. There is no better time, to call for a Sovereign National Conference [SNC] were all former regional blocs under the parliamentary rule as founded, stakeholders, and its smaller nations can converge to summit in other to formulate the direction, wherewithal, and benchmarks of good-governance, good-neighborliness to occur today. We all know that the so-called Nigeria-state, has never held any credible elections in the land; our elections are usually hand-picked elections before the actually elections take place, after-all. Both the parliamentary and Presidential systems are borrowed systems experiences. Nothing in that political space is locally engineered and those that want to promote local engineer technology and science capacities faces persecution and roughen up.

Curiously, as that is not enough, there is a machination by this current administration in 2006 as it continue to do thing wrong. According to insiders, data-statistical evidence shows that this administration is calculating—attempting by all means to impose on the citizenry a puppet-leadership to hid its seven [7] years pillages against the wishes of the people. We need to stop them now. Allowing them to continue with this fraud is differing the evil days which shall surely come upon her if rapid change is did not occur.

There is no reason to continue to post-pone the evil and wicked days which, shall surely come. Doing so is treachery and a disservice to this generation and generations yet unborn. There is no greater call than service to protect our children, women, and our seniors. Our commitment, dedication is needed now, especially standing-tall today to demand fairness, justice and equity are most needed today more than any other time for our peoples.

In conclusions, the making of a nation is not a child’s play; it is not a cake-walk; it takes bold sacrifice and commitment. If we need a better, egalitarian and viable and functioning society with rule of law in place without grudges, then we have to overthrown this present administration through mass uprising. Yes, we understand that many we go or die in the process but that is the prize that comes with building a nation. And by-the-way, of what use is this life if you have nothing dying for and become just moving corpses only? Our old people without necessary amenities, no pensions, no safety-nets, for those who have contributed immensely, they live in thatch-houses, slumps, and need us today to change their conditions; they need us today especially with the information that we have. Our peoples are languishing in man-made poverty, penury and deprivation while others live in their stolen wealth. We have to face our waterloo today once and for all for us to live a better life, in other to better the life of our children. Going for the precipice is the bitter pill but it is a better option available that there is to restructure these embarrassments we face today.

Feasibility studies, show that in the current challenges we cannot afford to shrink for if we do, history will not forgive us; if we refuse to learn from our yesterday and today by restructuring, rebuilding, re-roading, re-employing, re-educating, re-universifying, re-ethicizing, re-socializing, restoring the dignity of man through mass-mobilization and mass-participation then of what use are we.

A great American poet, George Santayana once remarked: “Those that failed to learn from their history are condemned to repeat it.”

Intensive dialogue not military option is a good start. The current arrogance and victimization of our peoples by EFCC, and its creator is not the way to go. The only left option is by fundamentally and logically following Constitutional options predicated on the rule of law; abiding, and following due processes as enshrined in the constitution is our possible and best option. Observing this foregoing will fall within the international instruments, which respect and support universal human rights for all, as enshrined in the constitution and as one of the nation-states that ratified the UN Human Rights Charter.

The current bogus-Nigerianization of other member-states inside this contraption, called Nigeria, as currently constituted under the criminality of the British amalgamation of 1914, without the consultations of the ingediginous peoples, would have gone down as one of the grossest leadership failings ever construed by man.

Secessionists and other freedom fighters are part of nation building and the making of a nation and must be allowed to champion its causes in the land freely without molestations, killings and harassments. The likes of Adams of OPC, Uwazurike of MASSOB, and Dokumbo of MEND, should be released without any conditionality and without further delays.

Today, in the United States, you still have people flying their confederate flags without molestation from other Americans, and were molestations exists, on infringes on their human rights, or violated, there is always a recourse in the judicial institutions that is instituted to redress in such matters. Folks, it is called freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

For Nigeria to become a nation, the make-ups or the ramifications surrounding its delusional claims over other nations-states inside its frontiers has to be reviewed, re-examined, re-adjusted, and re-ratified for and by all stake-holders. At this 21st century, no region or individual or groups of individuals, no matter how powerful can impose itself on others at will without meeting peoples’ resistance. This is also called optimizing your options: self-determination and self-actualization. The making of a nation in a free-society, in a new world-order seriously calls for consultations and dialogue not militarization of our lands. Balkanization of nations-states’ territorial integrity, either by omission or commission will not be tolerated. Friends, nations-States, inside Nigeria-state, know its boundaries and have the options to opt-out or stay within such arrangement if they so chooses.

Other observers talk much about the new universal converging nations-states elsewhere, for example, some point at European Union [EU] or African Union [AU], but, these progenitors of such unionizations, do not understand the detailed ramifications for such convergence or such unionisms.

The universal convergence elsewhere could mean universal divergence elsewhere. 1960s continental Africa or Ethiopia does not by any means, mean 1960 Europe, North-America or South-America. These spaces and times have its different trajectories, ramifications globally; including their mass-schooling/educational needs. These variations can also be seen in each bloc economical and its military arrangements then, which, have different scopes, thickness and depths, rather than what the “big boys think”.

Different regions or nations-states can influence each other but cannot in totality control these different entities, geo-political and its economic globalizations at will. Comparing different global universalism as one and the same things is highly intellectual arrogance, erroneous, misinformation, egregiously outlandish, and grandstanding by any standard in this writer’s considered opinion. The making of a nation is a complex initiative that involves all stakeholders’ participation. Until we as a people realizes this phenomenon surrounding the hypothesis above based on consultations, dialogues, toward creating and making a new nation, Nigeria will continue on the part of failings, discredited score; backwardness, bogus-leadership, directionlessly walking the sliding rope of disaster, lacking the true-nationalism at the turn of 21st century shall be its portion.

We hope otherwise.

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

Posted by Administrator at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)

An Illogical Trajectory: Kettle Call Pot Black

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- This paper will review; analyze the implications of immaterialism, and materialism that is facilitated, and predicated on human greed and emptiness. Perhaps this writer will attempt were possible to offer solutions on the present national-shame motivated by the rumbling at Aso-Rock, which, houses nation’s Presidency. Remember the upcoming 2007 elections and beyond.

May I remark that, in the final analysis, it is important to tentatively draw my conclusion, explaining what surrounds these con-artists in Nigeria based on their fantasy world of infallibility; the egotistic selves.

First and foremost, the biblical or scriptural trajectories informed us that during Christ earthly ministry, many of His great teachings were conveyed essentially on the law of retributive justice: what you sow is what you reap; that includes do unto others as you would want others do unto you. Remove the moths in your thick-eyes before removing the moths in your neighbor’s eyes otherwise great consequences follow[s].

In today’s Nigeria-political scene, Obasanjo and EFCC claims it is fighting corruption but uses selective measuring barometer to deduce that which, is not universally acceptable or I would say, that which is not nationally susceptible and plausible in respect to acceptable standards, fairness and equity. I do not have all the answers, but, one would hope that in all intents and purposes, Obasanjo and his administration would have acted responsibly, print their names in the golden books; unfortunately, his administration looked the other way. This administration has broken the law time and again, in disregard to nation’s constitution that were crafted under the military regimes, anyways. Now, clear evidence exists and speaks volumes at Bell University, Ottah Farm Inc, private Library project, and colossal properties inside and outside our shores, owned by bother-line ego-centric mechanized farmer-President, Olusegun Obasanjo. By omission or commission, funds for these projects were stolen from state coffers that were intended for public ventures but were diverted to personal ventures. This act is in total violation of the law. Episodes at Transcorp and others like it are evidence of misappropriations by this administration under the leadership of Obasanjo. Obasanjo administration did everything under the sun to impede, cover-up, these illegalities by deploying intimidation, bribery, coercion and brute political assassinations tactic.

The quest for power and materialism, were upped and swallowed by human greed and emptiness as exemplified in this administration’s contradictions, insofar. Yesterday they were friends looting together today, they are enemies looting separately. Who is fooling who? Obasanjo/Atiku feud is a national disgrace. Both men are just wrong. Both men broke the law by their illegal practices which they are now washing in public domains; some call it constitutional compliance but, I call it constitutional irresponsibility.

One would hope that National Assembly under Senate President Nnamani would do the right thing for the nation, by swiftly requesting for classified communications of these two rogues from state intelligence agencies and proceed with investigation that would lead to their impeachment[s].

We heard that money was wired from one Bank to the other. Admittedly, Obasanjo some months ago ordered, his agents at the central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] to action, they moved unapproved funds by the National Assembly worth over eighteen [18] billion dollars, Gani Fawehinmi and his legal-tugs did not see that as an impeachable offense, but sees Vice President Atiku Abubkar, money transfers at BNP, illegitimate. Whether these fraudulent transfers were illegitimate or legitimate, somehow they amount to impeachable offense[s]. Oh, have you wondered why there are no street protests these days in the west? What a hypocritical double-standards, talking with both sides of their months.

According to Daily Champion, Okey Onwuchekwe & Tony Ailemen reporting from Yola: “Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi [SAN] yesterday, called on the National Assembly to swiftly commence the impeachment of for alleged abuse of office; adding that Nuhu Ribadu administrative panel report indicted Abubakar of sleaze, adding that such alleged misconduct automatically disqualified him from contesting next year’s election. According to report, Vice President in a statement Wednesday claimed he received a letter from President Olusegun Obasanjo asking him to resign or face impeachment by the National Assembly.” Other observers report, culled that the said EFCC indictment were manufactured by Obasanjo’s administration to taint Atiku and his group's credibility. What is more, isn't this whole fuse about 2007 elections in Nigeria? Have we had any credible elections in Nigeria before now? They are money bags—cash and carry.

In my view, it is a Public Relations war. This PR war is between those backing Atiku, who argue in disagreement to the alleged indictment tabled by EFCC/Obasanjo as fraud and suspicious. According to report Atiku uses Habib Bank to track Obasanjo and his loot and the President’s men discovered it and now are not happy about it. Both Obasanjo and Atiku have insiders in government that does their dirty jobs for them. The suffering Nigerian masses know[s] little or nothing of these transactions and do not trust Obasanjo or Atiku. Things are getting messier my friends each passing day. It is a complicated and confused ongoing report. If my information is current, the development reveals certain aspects of wired funds. We have heard report of Bank BNP “wired” money to another Bank, they say Adenuga Bank—which, was used to finance the activities of Globacom, and Atiku deposited the federal Government of Nigeria [FGN] funds in the same bank eight months ago. But as it stands, how are we sure that the interconnectivity of funds which occurred in Bank are traceable to Atiku people, how was EFCC able to prove that indeed the funds were used for said activities of Globacom, was exact funds that Atiku deposited in the Bank and not the one dispatched and deposited by BNP? It is clear that both Obasanjo and Atiku are moving money around; moneys that belongs to all Nigerians against 2007 electoral charades. Both of these men are guilty of illegal transactions and must be punished according to the law if found guilty.

Conversely, it is indeed curious to this writer, about the time-line when EFCC indicted Atiku on a report of the Panel after Obasanjo, communicated the report to EFCC. The question is did EFCC ever conducted an investigation independently; contests or confirmed Obasanjo’s communicated content panel materials ahead of adopting the report? In a short space of time can EFCC indeed affirm and defend its investigation if indeed it conducted one, comparing the time-span of investigation and time-span of panel investigation?

In the meantime, according to report, as many of these questions linger on, the Advance Congress of Democracy [ACD] in a statement signed by its chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged the National Assembly to ignore Obasanjo’s request to impeach Abubakar. In their remarks, it is a considered opinion of the Advanced Congress of Democrats [ACD], that the whole idea of investigating an office holder, who has constitutional immunity and who on account of his office, has no proper opportunity to respond to all issues arising from such an investigation is inappropriate. It added that asking the accused to respond to the charges against him amounted to stripping him of his immunity as enshrined in the constitution. The party faulted EFCC on the findings of the EFCC which allegedly indicted Abukakar on the Globacom deal.

In this writers view, since both of these men have the tendency of moving State funds illegitimately, it is my considered opinion to impeach both of them by the National Assembly as Kettle cannot call Pot Black.

Where as this paper showcases both men as ego-centric and bullies, it also shows that the citizenry do not have all the details of PR war and must be on alert for any eventualities. Both men are obsessive-bother-line individuals that need assistance from their assigned healthcare-providers or therapists. It also shows both men are by application, in bad light as they have defeatists’ inclinations. They have failed the people and must therefore face the consequences of abusing their respective offices with misplaced priorities, choosing and projecting their selfish egos above peoples’ needs. Every public domain must be handled with care as it belongs to all. A misrepresented and misplaced power as we are witnessing are resultants of gross irresponsibility that results into massive misappropriations.

The results, lessons learned and continue to be learned is that the ongoing debacle between these shameless men is that man is fallible not infallible. Therefore, those aspiring for high offices, or to lead the nation must learn wisdom and humility in order to present themselves genuinely to the service of the citizenry. We also learned and continue to learn that no matter our positions, accomplishments in this life, whether it is scholastically, legal, medical, or other disciplines or fields, it is important to know that the great law of retributive justice will always catch up with us. It will come, knocking on our individual doors demanding for our stewardships to, society, and fellow-men and to our creator. Courageously, we will learn to remove the moth in our eyes before removing that moth which is in our brother’s eyes. After all said and done, the quest for materialism and immaterialism are swallowed by human ego, which, is manifested in human greed, incompetences and failings.

In conclusion, from the above hypothesis, it is evident that nation’s constitution is more or less a trash paper. The constitution has been in violation, since 1999 both men assumed office and beyond. It is therefore, my considered opinion that the National Assembly has history on their side if they follow issues before them constitutionally. It is an amazing opportunity to impeach both Obasanjo and Atiku and speedy up election 2007. The electoral engineering could be harnessed, by providing adequate funds to INEC to prepare the nation for the upcoming elections, if any. Another part of this paper shows that both men are ego-centric and have a misconception of what they are able to do. Both men are obsessive bother-line individuals that needs help with their medications. It also shows both men in bad light, having failed the people and must therefore face the consequences of abuse of power, via, impeachment. The resultant of lessons learned is that man is fallible regardless of his acclaimed invisibility. Again, those aspiring for high offices, who want to lead the nation, must present themselves genuinely for service to the citizenry. We also learned that no matter our positions in this life; whether it is scholastic, legal, medical, or practicing in any other fields, we must realize that the great law of retributive justice will always catch up with its violators. According accounting for our stewardships public or private must not be overemphasized. The quest for materialism is swallowed by time and space, greed and avarice. It would be gross stupidity committing the nation, its citizenry, to these ill-conceived, illogical, ill-prepared, constitutional-debates, wasting state funds that would have gone into essential amenities such, good roads, schools, hospitals, employments, and others like these, etc. It is constitutionally irresponsible wasting state funds on these discredited rogues and their cronies while, the masses can not have bread on their table.

In summation, the Great King Solomon of old, after revisiting his leadership dexterity, scholarship, his socio-economic and political influence, declared: it is all vanity.

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

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September 01, 2006

All Roads Lead to World Igbo Congress (WIC) Boston, Massachussettes

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- As the International community Awake to a new dawn at the turn of this century, World Igbo Congress [WIC] delegates will converge in Boston, Massachusetts, for an unprecedented annual summit starting this month—August 31st 2006. In this summit, delegates are expected to deliberate on critical issues of concern including security and other technical matters, strengthen its ranks and files to improve the lives of Igbo-nation and Nigeria as a whole.

Practitioners from all works of life are expected to be in attendance; they are equally expected to unequivocally send a tacit message to Nigeria-state, as 2007 elections draws near. The summit, must carve-out common-grounds, offer methodological techniques to respond to staggering challenges that face her.

Igbo-nation have lost many of its sons and daughters to religious riots, soicio-economic-political turmoil within this past seven [7] years of Obasanjo administration. Many Igbo villages such as: Umuaka, Onitsha, Odi-oma, Obi-Oku and many others have been burnt down or destroyed; while her children, women and old people have been killed by Federal troops, police, and state intelligence [SSS] at the orders of Obasanjo. Igbo leadership must respond to the plight of Ndiigbo and/or Biafrans inside Nigeria-state especially the political leadership of this country.

As it stands, Invitations have been extended to friends of Ndiigbo such as: international community, world Jewry, international watch-dogs on human rights violations, think-tank groups, community based organizations for sustainable development, and many interests groups, and other interested parties inside and outside Nigeria that supports better understanding, peaceful and harmonious existence amongst peoples, exchange of ideas/information, tradition of friendships and goodwill to Igbo-nation and to all men.

Ndiigbo with this opportunity has the chance to articulate its position with respect to 2007 elections; she must take strong stand on matters that is of strategic-interests to her and the nation, and at the same time without hesitations must WARN the nation that the new wave of genocidal acts of—aggression, and hostilities against Igbo-nation and other nations inside Nigeria cannot be tolerated forthwith and has to stop with immediacy, otherwise, the nation will face incalculable consequences. Nigeria must listen. WIC must in furtherance, make it clear to the international community that it is time for Igbo to takeover the helm of affairs of leadership mantle of Nigeria after Obasanjo administration. It is important and noteworthy to remark that after 46 years of the so-called freedom from western colonialism—internally imposed imperialism, contraptions against our peoples exists and has increased. The nation therefore needs a re-direction, re-position, and re-focusing through a credible leadership, after many years of disastrous misrule, mismanagement, marginalization and other de-humanizing vile-policies that only benefited the elites, whilst shamefully, the masses are left to dwindle in poverty and penury. It must resolve without hesitations, by putting forward from WIC platform: sweeping recommendations, resolutions, decisions, and definitive options for Igbo-nation and Nigeria-state, on the way forward.

Let there be no misunderstanding, this might be the last chance for Ndiigbo to unequivocally make it clear to fellow citizens whether it wants to remain inside Nigeria or opt-out for security reasons—if attempt, on these considerations, resolutions and consultations fail. This might be Igbo last chance to communicate to the international community on her situation and the desire to lead Nigeria at this time or otherwise opt-out.

Domestic and international observers believe those 46 years of its subjugation and marginalization inside Nigeria, Ndiigbo deserves the right to provide leadership to the nation, of course, with the support of fellow citizens. The summit will strategize forwarding-looking strategies, present its blueprint and strong position[s] on how best to moving Nigeria-state forward. This can be done through strengthening and increasing its stakes of operations for a stronger and smarter progressive agenda that would enthrone a brighter, greener future for our children and children yet unborn.

At this august occasion, may we warn that all mischief-makers, enemies of Ndiigbo to stay away from this summit especially if you are not invited. Security and intelligent surveillance capacities have been set-up and monitored jealously. This monitoring and collaboration are in partnership with United States local Security apparatuses in Boston, Massachusetts. Nigeria-nation, Igbo-nation, peaceful and law-abiding citizens of America supports and promote security pr-cautionary measures today more than any other time in United States history; especially after 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. soil. It is therefore, significant that the protection of lives and property of Ndiigbo and Nigerians, and US citizens as whole is paramount and perhaps central to this year’s summit, however.

Suffice it to say that over 20,000 Igbo have been killed across the country from varying violence circumstances including, religious and political riots. As our sons and daughters, parents/children, rail from these immeasurable killings across the country, it is therefore, essential that the security of our peoples across Nigeria be honestly addressed and solutions strongly followed up by law-enforcement agencies. The criminal aggression against Igbo-Nation cannot be mistaken or mixed up with comatose—as business as usual mentality as we witnessed and continue witness all these years. Ndiigbo had made it clear that Igbo will defend itself from all fronts across the country through the New-Igbo-Doctrine [NID]. Something must be done in respect to zero-security, because no nation can technologically, educationally, spiritually and scientifically improve its progressive file[s] under insecurity and lawlessness.

Capacity building, social development, industrial revolution, economic-emancipation, economic-development and other forms of investments and capacities including educational and skills-acquisitions of our children are all interconnected and interlaced to security of the Nigeria-State. And, if the nation fails in security matters as being witnessed recently, by its subjects or citizens, then, the whole nation has failed. It is security now or nothing. Regardless of our challenges and its attended constraints in this area, total over-haul of nation’s security arrangement is critical. Restoring security capacities truthfully and honestly will assist the populace restore confidence in themselves and confidence in the state. Security and integrity are challenges we face today that needs be addressed with urgency, and confronted head-on. There is no better time to address security of Ndiigbo and Nigerians than at this crucial and comely summit.

Conversely, we are pleased to inform readers and commentators that eminent Igbo sons and daughters, respected dignitaries and personalities from around the world have been earmarked to present papers at this summit. They have been appealed to, to be gracious enough to participate in this important discussions, as the gathering focuses mainly on the security of our peoples and right to self-determination. Boston will be busy. Boston will be bustling and hustling with streaming visitors of Igbo and non-Igbo-extractions from around the world and much more. Key note speakers of respectability and integrity have been slated to address Igbo-nation. The list includes amongst others: Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe [rtd], and Former Minister of finance/Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, among others. Our representatives residing in Boston, Massachusetts has learnt that there is additional respected dignitaries to address the Congress, including Constitutional Lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, and Prof., ABC Nwosu, these and others are expected to speak to the congregation on the occasion on legal-jurisprudence related matters and on the way forward for Igbo-nation and Nigeria-state. Indeed, this is a fascinating time for Igbo-nation across the world.

As you all are aware 46 years later Igbo are yet to be blessed with the opportunity to provide leadership to Nigeria-nation and its peoples. The clamour for Igbo-leadership is intensifying and growing. Observers and think-tank organizations and interest groups, believe that the only way for peace to reign in the land is for the nation to support SE/SS Igbo Presidency, especially having had two major-ethnic representatives complete, and/or, about to complete their tenures in providing leadership for the nation. There is no better time for Igbo to provide this needed leadership to the Nigeria-state than today. Indeed, Igbo and fellow-Nigerians have able and qualified personalities that can honestly and undeviatingly provide leadership to Nigeria-state, today more than any other time. All that is required is providing them with the platform, supports and opportunity to make it happen.

This summit is in short, an ample opportunity for Ndiigbo: its sons and daughters to showcase what they are capable of providing to Nigeria-state. It is therefore, important that those vying for the high offices including the presidency, to present their manifestoes and programs for public scrutiny, review, re-evaluations and for their considerations. These individuals must show that they have credibility and character. They must show amongst other things that their characteristic-indices include: duty, accountability, responsibility, transparency and qualitative leadership to the citizens are ingrained within and around them in discharging their duty if elected today.

In conclusions, to the media houses and other information networks, we have been advised to be sure that media houses or organizations to cover the summit credibly and accredited. It is important that communication agencies contact their partners and program planners electronically for more guidelines accordingly. Media institutions without proper invitations, accreditation documentations and or proper clearance from the Organization Planning Committee [OPC] for this event must think twice. Uninvited guests are advised to differ appearing around the premises of this year’s summit, to avoid unnecessary embarrassment, as security details will be heightened at this year’s gathering. We gathered that prior consultations, preparations and early arrangements are best bets to secure tickets to the event.

Finally, those with proper invitations from around the world, we learnt are advised to book for hotel spaces and make alternative accommodation arrangements. Logistically, this is just in case a “Plan A” fails there is always a “Plan B”. We learnt that due to organizational technicalities surrounding security and other matters, late-comers would have themselves to blame as program is already over-booked and congested. Round the clock jam-packed responsibilities, including budgeting and more are unprecedented in this year’s summit. This year’s WIC annual summit is expected to be congealed and loaded with never seen attendance in its history due to upcoming elections, security concerns, and in part, due to the worsening killings of politicians, Ndiigbo in particular and Ndi-Nigeria at large.

As all road leads to Boston, Massachusetts, United States, for World Igbo Congress [WIC], slated for August 31st to September 4th 2006, this writer wishes all participants a wonderful summit and hope you enjoy it. We take this opportunity to thank those visiting from remote places—thank you for your time and dedication; to those visiting from within the United States, thank you; many thanks to communication electronic-media houses such as: Cablevision and others that would be picking-up and circulating information, and, covering this event[s] as they unfold. Our appreciation goes to representatives of member-states, scholars, legal practitioners, world Jewry, engineers, educators, doctors, and all practitioners from all works of life including foes of Ndiigbo alike, who would be documenting and recording detailed communiqués for future analytical reviews and academic researching—you are all welcome! Again, through this medium, permit me to kindly wish each delegate, observers, strangers and all, a wonderful and productive summit and pray that the final discussions, presentations, resolutions and decisions would expectedly add new capacities to enhancing the lives and well-being of our peoples especially the lives of those in the homeland and those of our kinsmen and kinswomen in the Diaspora. God bless Igbo-nation, God bless nations-states--Nigeria.

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

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August 29, 2006

There is No Such Thing as Niger-Delta

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- Recently, there had been socio-economic-political upheavals over resource producing states. This economic hostility is obvious at the national, regional and at the local level. The said national summit focused particularly on revenue allocations with respect, and peculiarity to resource producing states, what the derivational percentages [%] should be or, not be. During these debates, the feds, have always [since after the civil war 1967-1970] played politics with this important topic.

So-much-so, that the discourse and, its end results, always results to failed conclusions. Each of these times, Feds have successfully derailed our collectivism of speaking with one voice. In each case, attempts to divide our lands and our peoples are grandstanding and unprecedented.

To a greater degree, feds have succeeded in meeting its objectives by keeping the people divided, at other times it has failed woefully in its ploys. Its successes in this area have left behind more ignorant and illiterate population wallowing in self-pity, gulliblistic-poverty, while its failures in another hand, have been triggered by its failed management of our resources toward bettering the lives of many either at national, regional and or at the local governmental units respectively. For example, in Port-Harcourt, feds made sure Igbo-mainland[s] and its ancient heritage were redrawn or criminally institutionalized in an effort to take away its ingenuousness from its Ancient supreme constitutionality that formulated them, for example again Rivers state was created. Igbo-nation noticed these pending alternations went to court to change these frauds but was ruled against by the court[s] of law. Under feds policy-of-containment, copiously designed against Igbo-nation, fed instructed Okilo’s administration and others after him to disfigure these frontiers, disfigure anything with Igbo-nomenclature[s], by any means necessary. Landmark names like: Obigbo, Umuokoro, Umumasi, Nwaoji, and many other indigenous landmarks were changed to Oyigbo, Rumukoro, Rumumasi, and Woji et al. However, despite this institutional internal systemic imperialism against our people designed through one of the grossest academic fraud in history, to circumvent truths, for the doubting thomases, we are still here and still, we know who owes the land.

This land-grab motivated-imperialism orchestrated and engineered by imperialistic cronyism at one end, which, its main-goal is to confuse, obfuscate the population in other to steal from its resources while its lands and peoples dissipate into decadence and precipice. Another fraudulent machination aggressively pursued by feds to disparage the ingenious landowners, sons of the soil, is the creation of Niger Delta off of original masterpiece: Niger-Basin Development Authority. Today’s Niger-Delta is made of waterways and creeks of these coastal states. But again, if you go to the original masterpiece, it is—Niger Basin Development Authority. NBDA was the original blueprint, formulated benchmarked for development of major resource producing areas, which, covers all resources producing areas of the country. States under NBDA are as followed: Benue, Plateau, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ondo and all states within the coastal waterways including Rivers State and Cross Rivers. Anambra state for instance, has a large quantity of gas deposits in its landmass larger than what you have in the whole of Bonny and its environs put together. What people don’t know is that Anambra state unexplored Gas minerals deposits are staggering. It is mind-boggling; to observe a notch, that for the fact that Anambra is undisputable Igbo-heart land [i.e., Obigbo] every disingenuous ploy is at work, premeditatedly deployed to make it unattractive to foreign explorers and investors. In the foregoing mainland areas, the aforementioned states have large quantity of oil and gas that is yet to be explored also. The act and creation of Niger Delta is disingenuous by its internal-imperialistic-creationism by its creators. It was created to put Igbo lands in a disadvantage position when it comes to mineral producing areas and developmental projects accorded them.

Surprisingly just recently, Edo state, a non mineral producing state was included in oil coastal states, while, Imo, Anambra and Abia were intentionally left out in oil producing states projects. The institutional idea, intentionality, is to deny them the attended sustainable developmental projects that come with it, based on its resource producing capacity are thusly denied her.

Under the World Bank Assisted Projects in the 80s, the original acronym was NBDA, meaning Niger Basin Development Authority. For example, we had then the World Bank Rice Project under the Niger-Basin Development Authority [WBNBDA]. My own dad worked as a staff with this institution in the 80s. The agency produced products such as rice, vegetables, oil and what not. Today, no one hears anything about NBDA or its affiliate institutions. Out of jealousy, vile-discrimination against Igbo-speaking states, this agency [NBDA] was stifled, degraded and finally it disappeared with the thin air. Why close down NBDA? It was aggressively and egregiously brought to a close because it benefited Igbo population and its surroundings, created jobs for its population, brought development closer to the people and more. Today, from the look of things, the whole of former Eastern Region have been disparaged, shortchanged, by this winding administration led by Obasanjo. Obasanjo administration has continued these vile-policies of intergenerational-discriminatory practices against Igbo speaking states, this happens especially, when it comes to mineral producing states, fund allocations and resources disbursements to mention be a few. In what follows, unprecedented egregious developmental fraud continues to be perpetuated by this hapless administration and has gone unchallenged. Whether this illegal and discriminatory administration is gone the way of the abyss come 2007 does not matters to this writer. What matters most, is, that we will continue to use every state-of-the-art, every capacity within our reach to expose these injustices and crimes against humanity and other grandstanding acts, wherever they are found. We are unrelenting when it comes to these unbalanced policies/issues. Today whether it is international projects or domestic resource allocations, as long as these discriminatory matrix rear their ugly heads they will be confronted aggressively regardless.

Indigenous-imperialism or international imperialism or a combination of both against world peoples must be fought against from all fronts irrespective geo-political location. We have to fight them corner to corner, street to street, bloc to bloc until we cripple these illegitimate acts and install legitimate government, with good governance, good practices to the best of our ability. The economic and political failings today are man-made and it’s our duty and responsibility to expose them forthwith for all to see them for what they are: ugly representations. Census computation is another critical area to pay attention to. Census figure are usually manipulated to the disadvantage of former Eastern Region and the whole of Southern Nigeria. This has to stop forthwith. The population in the South is far greater to the population in the North. Tele-phonic industrial-expansionists with its agents across the country have discovered and admitted this fraud of census fraud having visited the North.

Having articulated the foregoing pre-planned suffering of the masses predicated on the profiteering of the few with their foreign partners. The current hostilities against Igbo-land and its neighboring states is a challenge we all face. The facts remind us that larger population of our peoples are suffering and dying while they live in the means of plenty. Irrespective of these discriminatory and totalitarian actions against our people, including siphoning of our resources by these ghost-workers with their foreign multinationals-friends, we still have fledging options to confront these murderous looters to set free our suffering masses today. They use the military and police to maim and kill our old, women and children everyday.

Today because of military actions against our land, sea and the air, our population and its debilitating conditions, has once-more worsened, and has revealed yet again the vile, and devilish acts against our friends and families and remind us that these dastard acts know no boundaries and therefore we must unite and confront it today: now.

This passed Thursday, over 60 MEND members were killed by Federal troops under monstrous executive orders from Obasanjo. These criminal directives of Obasanjo, have, left innocent villagers killed; villages were burnt down to ashes; women and children were either killed or left to suffer homelessness in their own land. It is evidence that Obasanjo just added more blood to his bloody sucking folders, which, has placed him on the category of administration and leadership that committed crimes against humanity. Yes, they are spilling the blood of our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children. These acts of aggressions will not go unpunished as long as we live. This year alone over 786 MASSOB members have been killed in the Eastern region in its quest for self-determination to free itself people from the aggression and contraption of this administration. It has used SSS operatives and government agencies against our people. It is on record that these crimes are ongoing and designed to subjugate stilly any opposing voice or other alternatives to liberate our lands.

A military solution is no solution. Diplomacy should be seriously considered. Time and again, Obasanjo administration has sent in troops to destroy the villages, kill civilians, including women, and children. These actions were indiscriminately carried out without any consideration of innocent citizens about their businesses. The aftermath of military investigation is another cover-up and unacceptable to us, as we know too well about this civilian-military-regime with failed inquiries after sending in troops to kill our people time and again. These dastardly actions makes MEND and MASSOB population and strong[er] amongst the people within this region. Regardless of these death tolls of MEND and MASSOB, irrespective of its casualties, yet support for these organizations have rather increased and strengthened over time not, diminished.

As long as we refused to acknowledge that the mineral resource that is explored from under our feet belongs mainly to the indigenes of the land, resistance shall remain the only option to defend itself against these aggressors. Mineral resource should not be a curse or tool of destructions of our people, but rather, such resource[s] must serve as a means to better their lives. This vicious circle of aggression against our land is evil and wicked. And, rather than the multinationals with their imperialistic tendencies continue to loot our lands carelessly and recklessly, with its dehumanizing degrading fallouts, with depleting ecological negativity which, impact our lands and its environs they, should contribute to the development of the land or leave the land today. No doubt, surely someday the sanctity of human life is seen precious before the creator and we must demand for restitutions from them and tomorrow. Foreign multinationalism is imperialistically imposed on our people. Be informed that your acclaimed civility and decency will be called into question at the comity of nations and comity of communities you have raped and ravaged. Extrajudicial executions and disappearances of our peoples day-in and day-out because of mineral resources and exploitations cannot go unanswered, unpunished.

Finally, be it known that there is a relativism of internal imperialistic criminality, vis-à-vis, those of their foreign-imperialistic exploitative counterparts. The two imperialisms equals imperialism against our peoples; and fashioned to retain and maintain a particular lifestyle, materialism based on foreign thinking is one of the most debasing dehumanizing options at the turn of this century.

Warning: You can divide, discriminate, separate and segregate our peoples as much as you want, one thing is clear to us, we have refused to be divided, and there is no such thing as Niger Delta because it was instituted to cause divisions against us, what we do have albeit, is Niger Basin. These institutional divisions, disuniting designs, gave birth to Niger Delta against the backdrop that it will sidelines their designed arch-enemy: Igbo-nation. But, the vile-laws, revisionists’ policies and politics that follow heads-on and left the country redundant till date is shameful, even a corporate shame. This situation, have always played to the gallery of mischief-makers, to the detriment of our dying people whether in the whole of Niger Basin or what you today call Niger-Delta. Our villages, our women and children either way have benefited negatively by way of deaths and destructions of our villages, towns and cities. But, rather than a developed, sustainable, institutions, viable communication vehicles, educational capacities for a sophisticated and civilized society what we have reproduce over time is, more ignorant, increase in illiteracy, dropouts, mundane society were its tertiary institutions are nothing but, a glorified primary schools.

In conclusions, domestic institutional cronyism and institutional individualism, stupefied, with their unholy alliance with their individualistic foreign imperialistic operators which, serves as its off-shore conduits, its interlocutor has destroyed anything that looked like statehood. A true nation-state, would have served as primordial matrix that would have launched her to an enviable nationalism. Today, what we have is Niger Basin not Niger Delta. Niger Delta is an external-creationism imposed on us to keep us divided, disorganized to display irresponsibility to our families and own kind. Now that you know the genesis behind Niger-Delta and the collectivism found within the framework of Niger-Basin Authority, the attended deprivation based on non-visionary, non-peoples programs and the other based on visionary, peoples programs what do we do?

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

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August 15, 2006

Israel Rather than Accept United Nations Cease-Fire Deal, is....

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- Israel Rather than Accept United Nations Cease-Fire Deal, is Better Off Expanding its Offensive Against Hezbollah and its Patrons…

Northern Israel has been destroyed and turned into a ghost town by rocket launched or fired at her by Hezbollah. The media is biased against Jerusalem. The media are quick to cover damages done on Lebanese side and nothing reported on the damages and losses on Israeli side. Moreover, we all know that rockets used on Israel were supplied and continued to be supplied by Syrian and Iran and the world and United Nations say nothing. What UN entity is interested in is a suspicious and empty cease-fire[s] that is not in the best interest of Jerusalem.

According to Ralph Peters of the New York Post, “… but hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been driven away form their homes. You don’t hear much about that. Journalists love to think of themselves as bold individualists—but the truth is that they’re herd animals. And the herd has decided that the big story of this war is the suffering of Lebanese civilians—misery exaggerated skillfully by Hezbollah’s propagandists. They work the complicit international media like veteran hookers playing a pack of drunk conventioneers {sure I love ya, sure you’re the best….. Dead or displaced Hebrews? Who cares? That’s yesterday news.”

The most logical question is: how long will it take Jerusalem to learn that any defensive cease-fire is not in the best of Hebrew Nation[s]. It is important to alert military planners in Jerusalem that offensive cease-fire is in the best interest of the Hebrew nation[s] for its national security.

If Israeli Cabinet or its legislative assembly [Knesset] passes legislation in support of this irresponsible cease-fire, they must know that they will face the consequences in due course. Such legislation will give Hezbollah and Iran, Syria and other rouge States the time, opportunity to regroup and attack Israel within the space of six months of any cease-fire or less. How long will Jerusalem remain and live at the mercy of its enemy? Yes enemy [ies] with aggression and unprovoked attacks with high frequency occurrence. It is time that Jerusalem stops all these empty cease-fires and finish off Hezbollah and their patrons.
According to Associate Press: “Israel’s Cabinet became the final party to sign on to the U.N. cease-fire deal Sunday, while Israeli planes blasted Beirut and ground troops battled Hezbollah in south Lebanon seeking to battle the militants Islamic group in the hours before fighting stopped. Hezbollah hit back with its heaviest rocket barrage of the war on northern Israel.”
From all military indicators, military operative and its spy agencies have to study and review in other to get what is in the best interest and security of Jerusalem and do everything within these prisms to see them accomplished; without this decorum of understanding Jerusalem will remain vulnerable to the belligerency of these aggressors. Any purported negotiation must have component of Israel’s security at heart. Hebron belongs to the sons and generations of Caleb and not be given away to any uncircumcised entity, [Read the entire Joshua of the Holy Scriptures].
Recently the bodies of Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard were found among Hezbollah fighters killed by Israeli forces in Southern Lebanon, a conclusive proof that Tehran is covertly and overtly supporting the terror group. Tehran Mullah, Mohammed Ahmadinejad, sounded more accepting of supplying equipment including rockets after months of denial; he even tried to play down the world’s fear of what would happen if he gets a nuclear weapon. According to reports he granted an interview to one Mike Wallace. He stated the following: “…that time for bomb in the past, it’s behind us, today is the era of thoughts, dialogue and cultural exchanges” it’s believed these are remarks from this fraudulent element during this crisis period in the gulf peninsula. The big question is how can you trust Nuclear Weapon in the hand of this treachery?
Jerusalem must know that this is not time to going in circles; it is time to stand up and fight this aggressors and enemies of our God.

Israel must take this war to Syria; take it to Iran, were possible track and take down its [Tehran] nuclear facilities and destroy them just as you did to those of Iraq in the 80s for the safety and security of Israel. Take the war to Northern States of Kano, Sokoto and others like them in what is considered or called Nigeria today. These northern entities in el’Nigeria have been training and supplying Hezbollah providing them with man-power and resources in almost every gulf war including those in Iraq. These are enemies of Israeli and must be treated as enemies which they are. Ala-Igbo must begin to prepare itself for war, because from every indicator war is imminent and Ndi-Igbo must not be taken unaware and unprepared.
The United States and other friendly member states of Jerusalem must support Israel’s insistence on staying in the Lebanese frontiers until a robust international force is deployed to the region for the security of Israel.
Be that as it may, Israel must realize that we are racing against time and must act impassionately in the defense of its God given lands and until its enemies are subdued and brought to its knees. Now is the time that sons and daughters of Hebrew nations must take this war to these aggressors, patrons and sponsors of Hezbollah’s militancy against Israel and to all those that continue to display belligerent postures against the State of Israel and finally sound a serious warning that no aggressor[s] and/or perpetrators of unprovoked aggression against the State of Israel will go unpunished. Israel must expand its frontiers today and take over all the lands given to our fathers long before we were born. There is no better time to expand, track its enemies than now. United Nations is a toothless entity and do not serve the interest of Israel. For this and other reasons, Israel must submit itself and its laws based on the laws of Elohim. Israel is surrounded by aggressors and
enemies of God and only total reliance to the living God can it conquer all its enemies as it did in the past. History will absolve Jerusalem if it holds unto the Iron Rod without compromising the scepter of David; and Israel must not submit itself to a criminal cease-fire sponsored by a diminished entity—United Nations.

Dialogue Lil Joe wrote: A 'Pretext' War in Lebanon

By Robert Parry
August 9, 2006

Three days after the May 23 summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. President George W. Bush, a car bomb killed two officials of Islamic Jihad in the Lebanese city of Sidon.

Immediately, Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, denounced the murder of brothers Nidal and Mahmoud Majzoub and pointed the finger at Israel as the prime suspect. On June 10, a man named Mahmoud Rafeh was arrested for the car bombing and, according to the Lebanese army, confessed that he was a Mossad agent.

Rafeh, a 59-year-old retired police officer, belonged to a “terror network working for the Israeli Mossad,� which had smuggled a booby-trapped door into Lebanon from Israel for use in the assassination, the Lebanese army said.

In retrospect, the Majzoub assassination looks to have been part of a larger U.S.-Israeli strategy – following the Olmert-Bush summit – to encourage a tit-for-tat escalation of violence that would ratchet up pressure on Palestinian and Lebanese militants – and through them their allies in Syria and Iran.

That violence also set the stage for the current Israeli-Lebanese war, which now has raged for almost one month and has claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 Lebanese and 100 Israelis.

A Year for War

According to Israeli sources, Olmert and Bush agreed at the May 23 summit to make 2006 the year for neutralizing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while deferring a border settlement with the Palestinians until 2007.

Provoking a wider regional conflict also revived hopes among Bush’s neoconservative advisers that they might yet create a “new Middle East� that would be amenable to U.S. and Israeli desires and interests.

In this context, the Israeli-Lebanese war was a confrontation looking for a pretext, not an ad hoc response to Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers on July 12. That so-called “kidnapping� has been sold to the American people and many world leaders as the precipitating event for the conflict, but it now appears only to have been a trigger for a prearranged scheme.

Israeli sources indicate that Bush gave Olmert a green light for the conflict at the May 23 summit. The sources said Bush has even encouraged Israel to expand the war by attacking Syria, although Israeli leaders balked at that recommendation because they lacked an immediate justification.

One Israeli source said some Israeli officials considered Bush’s interest in an attack on Syria “nuts� since it would have been viewed by much of the world as an act of overt aggression. Bush, however, is said to still hold out hope that reactions by Syria or Iran – such as coming to the aid of Hezbollah – could open the door to a broader conflict.

In an article on July 30, the Jerusalem Post hinted at Bush’s continued interest in a wider war involving Syria. “Defense officials told the Post last week that they were receiving indications from the US that America would be interested in seeing Israel attack Syria,� the newspaper reported.

Bush pursued a similar “pretext� war strategy in 2003 when he sought a provocation by Iraq that would give legal cover for invading that country.

A leaked British document recounted an Oval Office meeting between Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair on Jan. 31, 2003. Even as Bush was publicly telling the American people that he viewed war with Iraq as a “last resort,� he had already made up his mind and was scheming to find excuses for justifying an attack on Iraq.

According to minutes written by Blair’s top foreign policy aide David Manning, “the U.S. was thinking of flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in U.N. colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach.�

Regardless of whether a casus belli could be provoked, Bush already had “penciled in� March 10, 2003, as the start of the U.S. bombing of Iraq, according to the memo. “Our diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning,� Manning wrote.

As it turned out, Bush brushed aside Blair’s worries about the legality of an unprovoked invasion of Iraq and went ahead with the assault on March 19, 2003. Though Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein was ousted after a three-week U.S.-led assault, Iraqi insurgents have battled the American occupying army since then in a war that has claimed the lives of almost 2,600 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis.

New Ambitions

Many American observers believed that the disaster in Iraq would tamp down Bush’s ambition to remake the region. However, with Olmert’s ascension to power in Israel in 2006, Bush saw a kindred spirit who believed that military force was the only way to get Islamic adversaries to make necessary concessions.

After the May 23 meeting with Bush, Olmert declared that “this is a moment of truth� for addressing Iran’s alleged ambitions to build a nuclear bomb.

In a speech to a joint session of Congress on May 24, Olmert called the possibility of Iran building a nuclear weapon “an existential threat� to Israel, meaning that Israel believed its very existence was in danger.

Two days later, the car bomb killed the Majzoub brothers in Sidon and a new cycle of escalation began. In reaction to the assassinations, Islamic militants fired rockets into Israel, which, in turn, counter-attacked killing one Hezbollah fighter.

Tensions rose further when fighting between Israelis and Palestinians resumed in Gaza. On the night of June 23, Israeli commandos crossed into Gaza and seized Osama and Mustafa Abu Muamar, two sons of Hamas activist Ali Muamar. [BBC, June 24, 2006]

Early on the morning of June 24, Hamas militants snuck into Israel via a tunnel from Gaza and attacked an Israel patrol, killing two soldiers and capturing Corporal Gilad Shalit as a part of a demand for a prisoner exchange. Israel is reported to hold about 10,000 Palestinian prisoners.

On June 27, as these tensions mounted, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was still working to advance a possible peace settlement with Israel. Abbas coaxed the more radical Hamas, which controls the Palestinian parliament, into endorsing a document proposing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Abbas’s success represented a potential breakthrough in a border settlement with Israel, since Hamas implicitly was accepting Israel as a neighbor next to an independent Palestinian state.

But the next day, June 28, Olmert sent the Israeli army crashing into Gaza to avenge the “kidnapping� of Shalit, a phrasing that the U.S. news media immediately adopted in blaming Hamas for instigating the crisis.

As the Israeli army overwhelmed scattered Palestinian resistance and began “detaining� – not “kidnapping� – Hamas legislators, tensions were also mounting on the Israeli-Lebanese border. On July 12, Hezbollah forces attacked an Israeli border outpost, killing three soldiers and capturing – or “kidnapping� – two others, also seeking a prisoner exchange.

The July 12 incident opened up the floodgates of violence. Israel launched a broad air-and-ground offensive aimed at crushing Hezbollah by blasting apart its strongholds in south Lebanon and destroying much of Lebanon’s economic infrastructure, from roads to communications. Hezbollah launched hundreds of Katyusha rockets into northern Israel.

Besides the almost 1,000 Lebanese who have died, an estimated one million – or about one-fourth of Lebanon's population – were displaced from their homes. The Israeli death toll, both military and civilian, stood at about 100.

While many international leaders called for an immediate cease-fire to stop the bloodshed in July, Bush staunchly defended Israel’s actions as a legitimate act of self-defense against “terrorists.�

In an unguarded moment during the G-8 summit in Russia on July 17, Bush – speaking with his mouth full of food – told Blair “what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit.�

Not realizing that a nearby microphone was turned on, Bush also complained about suggestions for a cease-fire and an international peacekeeping force. “We’re not blaming Israel and we’re not blaming the Lebanese government,� Bush said, suggesting that the blame should fall on others, presumably Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.

Meanwhile, John Bolton, Bush’s ambassador to the United Nations, suggested that the United States would only accept a multilateral U.N. force if it had the capacity to take on Hezbollah's backers in Syria and Iran.

“The real problem is Hezbollah,� Bolton said. “Would it [a U.N. force] be empowered to deal with countries like Syria and Iran that support Hezbollah?� [NYT, July 18, 2006]

‘Cease-Fire’

By early August, as rage throughout the Middle East rose to a boil, the Bush administration finally put forth a cease-fire plan. But it read as if it were designed to further stir Arab anger and extend the conflict.

While demanding that Hezbollah stop fighting and effectively disarm, it would allow Israeli forces to remain in south Lebanon and only require Israel to cease “offensive� operations. A multinational force would then replace the Israeli army and police a buffer zone carved entirely out of south Lebanon.

Bush said his cease-fire goal was to strike at the “root cause� of the conflict, the existence of Hezbollah as an armed militia inside Lebanon.

“By taking these steps, it will prevent armed militias like Hezbollah and its Iranian and Syrian sponsors from sparking another crisis,� Bush said at an Aug. 7 news conference in Crawford, Texas.

“The loss of life on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border has been a great tragedy,� Bush said. “Millions of Lebanese civilians have been caught in the crossfire of military operations because of the unprovoked attack and kidnappings by Hezbollah. The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon is of deep concern to all Americans, and alleviating it will remain a priority of my government.�

But the reality appears to be quite different. Much as Bush told the American people that he considered war with Iraq “a last resort� long after he had decided to invade, Bush is now saying his goal is to relieve a humanitarian crisis when he actually hopes to expand the conflict and force a showdown with Syria and Iran.

While U.S. officials have been careful not to link the Lebanon conflict to any possible military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, they have spoken privately about using the current conflict to counter growing Iranian influence.

Only days after the Lebanon-Israel conflict began, Washington Post foreign policy analyst Robin Wright wrote that U.S. officials told her that “for the United States, the broader goal is to strangle the axis of Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran, which the Bush administration believes is pooling resources to change the strategic playing field in the Middle East. …

“Whatever the outrage on the Arab streets, Washington believes it has strong behind-the-scenes support among key Arab leaders also nervous about the populist militants – with a tacit agreement that the timing is right to strike.� [Washington Post, July 16, 2006]

Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories in the 1980s for the Associated Press and Newsweek.

Lil Joe

Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

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August 05, 2006

Middle East Crisis: Solutions and a Quick Synopsis et al

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- A Friendly Relationship with Jerusalem has a Practical Relevance, Regionally and Internationally: Belligerent Postures by its Surrounding Neighbors, Threatens its Existence, the Entire Gulf-Peninsula, and World Peace.

From biblical times of the Hebrew nations, its exodus from the bondage in Egypt, and the subsequent takeover of the land of Canaan and other lands under the commandment of God, Israelites under the leaderships of Moses, Joshua and others were warned by Great Jehovah not to comprise this land-related commandment and other spiritual commandments. By application, that means, no matter what or who becomes the stumbling block whether enemy or friend, it must not blink. May I state here, that in an effort to facilitate the fulfillment of his promises to father Abraham, father Isaac, and father Jacob, the Lord was steady in handing-down these instructions, Elohim, expected its observance by Israel for world peace. The mountain top and what constitutes today the present day Israel and beyond including Lebanon, is, very important to the Lord; if there is any hope for the security of Israel, the world, or a strengthened security and protected borders for that matter, she must remember and keep these commandments, if not, it shall know no peace. Arise now oh, Israel and defend thou tents, enlarge thou camps and defend thou territorial integrity. Know yeah, that internationally and locally, your position and location is the world’s center of gravity; thusly world peace and or its troubles emanates from the activities within this place, politically and/or economically from this region. Always, remember that that in wherever or whatever situation you embrace or found yourself, always remember these sacred instructions. Arise and go forth.

To buttress the above disposition[s], record show that by 1948 the United Nations [UN], with the assistance of the United States, Great Britain and other member states provided the buffer legitimacy within international laws and its instruments and other necessary legal ramifications here-to-for observed, ratified working documents for this purpose: creation of Israel. By this act, the State of Israel was born, or if you like it was formally created, accepted amongst world’s peoples—within the comity of nations. Regrettably yesterday and today, many Arab nations have refused to recognize the State of Israel. Recently, Iran under its present leadership have threatened that Israel be wiped off of the earth-plate. Other terrorists groups including Hamaz and Hezbollah funded by Iran, a rouge state, with other Islamic fundamentalists continue to threaten the existence of Israel. May I state that Israel, in the face of this and present dangers, and threats reserves the right to track, find and element those that threaten its existence in self-defense. If this requires her going to war and declaring total war against enemies of God’s peoples so be it. One thing must be made clear here by this writer, it is a duty and responsibility that the Great State of Israel must stand tall and defend its existence and most importantly must defend Jerusalem.

Israel most be on high alert, show readiness and preparedness in its current challenging milieus and future dangers. Its clarion call must be meshed with above all, the protection of its peoples, its territorial space including parts of Lebanon, part of Syria, Iran, Iraq and the whole of East-Jerusalem. Jerusalem must not be divided under any circumstance. Its Capitol must be moved from Tel Aviv to the center of Jerusalem today without further delays. Thou kingdom’s come. Israel must embrace its God and keep its commandments. If it does that, its actions militarily, economically and otherwise will surely succeed to its full measure and glory. When Israel keeps these instructions from the God of our fathers, it shall enjoy all the promises made to our fathers: father Abraham, father Isaac and father Jacob. This is not time for retreats; it is time to stay steady and enlarge its camps in fulfillment of these instructions, for its survival depends on its actions and inactions internationally and domestically.

This writer regrets the killings of innocent civilians and children in the recent conflict within its border especially recent expanded conflict in Southern Lebanon. People, tongues and nations must know, that, no matter what happens today Israel can never be destroyed nor defeated until the end of time, until the return of our Messiah, thus says the Lord through His prophets—His messengers.

Finally, I would encourage nation within the gulf peninsula and around the world, to change their belligerent attitudes toward Israel. I encourage them to stop this foolishness; rather than display belligerent postures, it should develop cordial relationships and friendships with the State of Israel. Rather, than become enemies of God’s people and suffer grave consequences, however, they should look at the trajectory of events and history itself and be reasonable. It is important to inform nations that Israel is a friendly nation and would reciprocate the great tradition of friendships with nations that act friendly toward her. Experience shows that present day Egypt, Jordan, and others have learned from its past mistakes and the fallouts of bad behavior, wars or misconducts and the acts of attacking the Jewish state that attracts here-to-for, grave consequences. Today, the aforementioned nations have turned the corner and are great benefactors of this great and new tradition of friendships. Through improved friendly relationship with the Jewish State, the aforementioned nations have strengthened their geopolitical, economic and strategic capacities and interests accordingly especially in the Middle-East. A friendly relationship with Israel by its neighbors and vice-versa, will, facilitate and create a climate that permits peaceful relationships, trade and commerce, and respectable international borders especially those found within and around-about the Gulf Peninsula.


Carlisle U. O. Umunnah
Is New York Based Freelance writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

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June 27, 2006

Nigeria is a Time Bomb

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- It is important to state here and now that Nigeria state, its agents and their current deployment of troops in Onitsha, Anambra State, and other illegitimate actions against Ala-Igbo and, Nigerians in general is totally irresponsible. Their actions are irresponsible because of their inability, under—coordinateness of this administration and other regimes before her, to respond to massive unemployment, corrosive lawlessness, and, massive corruption across the land.

And, to make matters worse, this administration misplaced, misguided priorities is a provocation that mesmerizes and distresses the population’s psyche. The population is already distressed because of the aforementioned maladies. Today, average Nigerian or Biafran family is not capable of putting three square meals on the table, they are—highly incapacitated. When this administration creates, behaves, and acts belligerently toward this people, violent their human rights and right to know state practices, by-pass National Assembly and withdraw between 20 to 34 billion dollars from excess crude funds, ignores judicial directives, it is natural to expect equal measured consequences, or even worse. And now, if anyone thinks Babangida regime, abused, plundered the nation’s treasuries as we know it [which we are not letting him off the hook by no means], that individual must think again, because Obasanjo has surpassed Babangida’s treacheries.

With the new development and cabinet reshuffle[s] couple of days ago, with Madam Ngozi Iweala, now former Minister of Finance; lady believed to be a no-sense individual, who happens to be a stumbling block to these looting campaigns or intentions, has more reason to weep for the nation. The flood-gate-of-hell is wide-open, they now have their way as, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, is now moved for unspecified reasons. Mark my word, the nation will be visited in the coming months [I was told], with unspecified mother of all looting, led by Obasanjo with some of his Yoruba kinsmen [thieves] at the Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial districts.

Obasanjo professes Christianity. However, it has become clear that Obasanjo is neither a Christian nor a Muslim. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is an opportunist. At best he is an atheist. His actions and his current lootings called withdrawals, without passing through appropriate channels—the National Assembly, is, a contradiction of his acclaimed transparency and accountability charades. The brazen fraud surrounding this administration, calls for immediate investigation.

EFCC

EFCC should probe their boss over the looting of 20 to 34 billion dollars. The foregoing figure was secretly withdrawn, without the knowledge of Finance Minister as she testified, before the Special Committee for Finance, at the National Assembly. I guess her honest testimony distressed Obasanjo, especially over his discredited accountability and transparency program.

If indeed, EFCC thinks it is independent from Egba-leadership, this is the time to act. It is time to swing into action and show Nigerians and perhaps the world that it is autonomous and investigate this administration head-on. This administration has no respect for Igbo-nation and other disparaged nations inside the enterprise, Nigeria. Since this administration came to power through fraudulent elections in 1999, it has acted with impunity to anything Igbo and other marginalized nations in Nigeria. To be sure, the aforementioned misplaced power and misguided governmental behavior of this administration is troubling and very alarming to any rational mind[s], particularly, for those who really care.

The lunacy of this administration encourages her to projects transparency and accountability, while its actions and records show otherwise. Recent hypocritical manifestations and ignominious ineptitude in her folder will provide mountainous case study materials for researchers/scholars on: good governance, international relations, national economy and organizational management/mismanagement and other failings for future scholastic investigations.

Conversely, when it comes to niggarization and militarization of nation-state such as ours, records show that this administration has used and continues to use military means, to maim and kill this people—examples are widespread. It is this writer’s view, to contend that these unprogressive tendencies and actions like the ones displayed at Obi-Oku, Umuaka, Odi-oma, and recently at Onitsha, the commercial nerve center, Anambra State, buttresses the foregoing positions.

Readiness and Preparedness

Ndiigbo and Nigerians need to be on guard, in order to monitor and stop the unfolding large scale fraud which, in all intents and purposes will defile past frauds records in history, obviously. Before now, we were told that Federal Reserve was at thirty-four [34] billion dollars. But as records began to hit newsstands, there began to emerge series of contradictions to that figure [34 billion]. From financial information in our disposal today, the foregoing 34 billion has dipped to nine [9] billion dollars; this nine [9] billion predictably has become the actual figure in federal Foreign Reserve. Just as they squander financial reserves, they also squander human capital.

It is now on record that over 26 MASSOB members have been killed over the weekend. Now, with the indiscriminate killings of members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra [MASSOB], a non-violent group, across former Eastern region, it is important that we act and approach these aggressions on our peoples with a sense of urgency on the dangers ahead. Readiness and preparedness, toward the protections of these peoples becomes something we must not compromise. It is important that alertness and other defense mechanisms be employed to protect our families and relatives in el’Nigeria.

Equally, time demand that we re-view and re-evaluate with immediacy, what’s has gotten into the head of the leadership of this violent administration. No nation can coerce or foster its illegitimate actions against its peoples and survive. Effective and efficient governance is managed and supported by the citizenry. The citizenry do this by act of volition and cooperative citizenship participation. Only through free will and participatory means, can a nation be considered and accepted as a nation. Any acclaimed nation, without these universal standards, ideals, in the day to day running of its operations would meet resistance, and will definitely succumb to its folly.

The question is what prevented Obasanjo and his sycophants from deploying troops in Maiduguri, and elsewhere, when Igbo nation and those that look like them were being slaughtered in thousands cross the nation? These questions are very critical, and we demand for answers. We demand that Obasanjo withdraw the troops from Onitsha-Town and other surrounding Towns without further delays. Every Igbo son or daughter, whether they are inside the government or outside the government must be aware of his/her surroundings. We warn the Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, or whoever, in what ever capacity h/she found themselves especially any party collaborating with this illegitimate administration whose time is far spent. We warn you to be mindful of what time it is, otherwise you are acting on your own, and will have yourself to blame in the long run.

At the Summit, Raising Standards

It is about time to raise the standards. And, raising standards, we have to begin at home. All these double standards and bogus patriotism have to stop at some point. And it has to stop today. As we have counseled in the past, we again rekindled our warning to Nigeria state and advise her to listen: Anybody who thinks that Igbo-nation wherever they maybe are not united, must think again. Recent summit at Owerri, June 17, showcased that indeed, Igbo-nation, can do anything they aspire to—whether it is individually or collectively. We therefore, salute Igbo leaders who met at Concorde Hotel, Owerri, Imo-State, to support, project our positions, including many issues troubling the nation. At the meeting, which was chaired by former Chief Justice, Justice Chukwudife Oputa; they met, articulated with purpose, Igbo aspirations and challenges it and other nations face inside Nigeria. At this meeting, matters arising focused on 2007 elections.

Present at the summit were: Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Commodore Ebutu Ukiwe [rtd], Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor A.B.C. Nwosu [one of the organizers] and other respected dignitaries that graced the occasion. These patriots spoke eloquently with one voice. The dignitaries also put the Nigeria state on notice, that Igbo is not taking a back seat and is not backing down to nobody. In this progressive meeting, through education, communication, and counseling means they advised the nation in unequivocal terms, stated amongst other things, that for the nation to move forward, the cycle of Presidency has to be completed with Igbo as the next president.

Disgraced and Discredited

Other events at the summit: we will be doing our readerships a disservice, if, we fail to inform her about discredited and disgraced sons of our. It is important not to forget, that some individuals of Igbo extraction whose practices yesterday and today had been detrimentally disgraceful to Ndiigbo and Nigeria.

These individuals have shown opportunistic tendencies, treated themselves and the nation lightly; by singing praises of every administration that coerce itself on us. These individuals were booed by the delegates and, participants at the aforementioned summit. The discredited, opportunistic Senator Arthur Nzeribe, Professor Joe Irukwu, President Ohaneze Ndiigbo and others, were booed at repeatedly and were not allowed to speak at the summit. They were summarily disgraced because of the role they played during the third term project at the detriment of Ala-Igbo and Nigeria.

The Way Forward for the Nation

In a ten point communiqué, last weekend Friday, June 17, Igbo leadership across the country in consensus agreed that Igbo extraction should produce the next president of the country, Nigeria. Amongst other things, they demanded that Imo and Abia States be included in the Oil Coast States [OCS]. The host governor, Achike Udenwa, remarked that, “the gathering featuring the geo-political groups in the country are currently fine tuning strategies to grab the top-most office—President of the country in unfolding political space.”

On resolutions reached at the last summit, Udenwa recalled that, "the South-East and South-South shall, either way, produce the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, come 2007". To avoid commotion, and for this enterprise, not titter into the abyss, concerted efforts must be made to support Igbo Presidency. Nigerians must unite behind Igbo presidency. It is on record, that the North and now the West [West will soon complete eight [8] year cycle providing leadership for Nigeria] have all completed or will soon complete its presidency. It is therefore logical to state that the South-East and South-South, must take its turn. It is on record, that when it comes to sharing of political largesse of the country, you will all agree that the South-East geo-political zone has been largely short-changed this past 46 years of nation’s existence.

It is important that we call on all Nigerians to support this blueprint. The Outcome of any election[s], if properly executed could be smooth without firing a shot. The concept of disintegration and other predictions will become something of the past, if we adhere to this simple logic. This would be possible if and only if, the playing field leveling, free and fair that would provide a platform of equal gaming zone, with a framework of action which, strategies and socio-econo-political thinking is people centered.

Other Recommendations

In alternative, if it becomes clear that we are head hardy and cannot get along, it is important to remark that there are other plausible alternatives. A peaceful disengagement would be just fine for all party involved, rather than few individuals raping national treasuries to unconscious coma.

For example, the former Soviet Union [USSR] and former Yugoslavia republics disintegrated peacefully. Both conducted themselves well, and naturally went their individual ways without firing a shot. This happened after communist party leadership, dominated their political pace for seventy [70] years; yes, seventy [70] years of reign of a totalitarianism against the wishes of the people.

I have given examples in other articles at other times specifically on: I] East Timor; II] Kosovo and III] Canada as illustratable case studies. It could be a daunting challenge, especially with the country’s checkered history which, has been confronted and depleted her over time, but can be done. Brazen neglect, political deprivation and gross marginalization of its people, Ndiigbo and their South-South brothers and sisters in particular 45 years later, enough is enough.

The conversation and propositions not withstanding, Anthony Enahoro, has a different view with respect to power shift matters in 2007. For one of the foremost nationalist, read his remark: “The current agitation for power shift among the nation’s geo-political blocs, it a time bomb that is capable of tearing the country apart.”

Thus far, my take on that point of view, is even further. The said geo-political blocs have been tittering toward this direction before now which Enahoro is part of its architects and the architecture. Other geo-political blocs North and West have had their turns. Former Eastern region demand for completion of the cycle by taking their turn come 2007, and it is the right thing to do. If after another eight to ten [8 to 10] years the cycle is complete, and by application, if we decide to base nation’s politics, on true democratic principles, meaning that, it doesn’t matter where your region is, your ethnicity doesn’t count that would be great, if, feasible. But for now, every citizenry of this land, must have, feel a sense of belong in the scheme of things first of all.

By the way, if he is talking about the time bomb allegory, I would even expand further on that: the nation as holistically is a time bomb on itself, due to long drawn illegalities, marginalization, massive elitists corruption, incompetence at local, regional and national level of the leadership; a corrosive mediocrity from many decades of military dictatorships in the land. For this writer and perhaps multitudes out there, the only way to disallow disintegration is to support capable candidate from former Eastern region to lead Nigeria to freedom and better future. We have tested the Northern and Western political leaderships; we have the assessments and know what the results are.


Conclusions

In conclusion, if I may recap, the recent removal of Ngozi Iweala, from Finance ministerial position to Foreign Affairs is a suspect; it is another calculated provocation, marginalization of Igbo extraction; is a misplaced and misguided advisement to say the least. The woman is trained economist, what has she got to do with foreign affairs? Total contradiction, albeit some claim she is multi-tasking. It is believed by Obasanjo and his acolytes that Ngozi Iweala, will still head the finance team and so forth, from her new post. It is the most imbecility of remarks to make. Think that a foreign Affairs Minister will be on a diplomatic mission say in far away Tokyo, Japan, and still have the capacity to monitor financial operations back in Nigeria and elsewhere is must ludicrous. The truth of the matter is that Nigeria hate standardized structured mechanisms, rule of law, and accountability, it believes in shadowy deals. The foregoing move is most suspicious since information gathered show that the lady was a stumbling block to many plunderers at the center, regardless of Iweala’ s affiliations to the Bank/Fund, or being Bank’s gatekeeper to be precise. We were told she has done well for the nation.

Wo! wo! wo, unto you Jerusalem, the eyes of the Lord have seen your abominations and your nakedness … wo! wo! wo, unto you Nigeria, for the eyes of the Lord have seen your abominations and nakedness … thou daughters and little ones litter in the streets unattended… Change your wicked ways or desolation shall besiege thee and become your portion forever ….

Now that Iweala is gone, welcome to our world of massive looting[s], a looting without breath or end. As long as this charade remains the practice of el’Nigeria political space, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Obasanjo should just create his Egba-land republic, Arewa republic and leave Biafra republic frontiers alone, and to each to their individual way[s].

Folks, the end game approaches… someone has to pay for the crimes against humanity. It is up to el’Nigeria state to defuse the time bomb called Nigeria or face the seemingly irreversible consequences that awaits her. Again, we are all enlisted in the Lord’s engagement until the conflict is OVER …

We want to use this opportunity to also call on the international community and Western world to speak up, speak up unto your gatekeepers and oil-multinationals blood suckers in Nigeria frontiers. Advice your oil empires to henceforth cease from the killing of our peoples, stop forthwith, the polluting of our lands, waters and air that puts the region on the edge, and, at the mercy of emissions and other ecological problems. You have to listen because this is for your strategic interests. Lives and properties are at stake here, including those of the Sub-Saharan Western African economic bloc. Prevention they say is better than cure. A return to regionalism as it were in the 60s, or quasi-confederate system and or a full fledge federalism is the nation’s best bet. Be smart; choose wisely, choose a-right, while there is today.

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah
Is a New York Based Freelance Writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com

Posted by Administrator at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

June 11, 2006

The Great State of Biafra is Strong and Alive

by Carlisle U.O. Umunnah (New York, USA) --- When I read some writers, detractors and enemies of peoples’ survival and existence write tirelessly and meaninglessly with venoms, with embellished concocted explanations of what they understand, and see as Biafra/Biafrans, I laugh. This groups and individuals regardless of their ages, their pedigrees in interdisciplinary orthodoxies introspectively found within the four walls of intellectual establishments, yet unlettered on many matters, especially when it comes to the idea, Biafra.

This notwithstanding, one is prompted to respond to groups and entities with foregoing dispositions and indeed needs do all within its powers as h/she possibly can to educate and enlighten them or remind them further for record purposes. For other considerations, I encourage these groups, to go and do their research properly. This is because when it comes to what Biafra really represents to Ndiigbo, Nigeria and the world they might discover a world of wisdom for their children and grandchildren. Let there be no contradictions or confusion, Biafra is a republic, a geopolitical space and a great nation.

Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once gain. ~~~ Menchem Mendel Mchneerson

On May 30, 1967 in pursuit of their self-determination armed with the Peoples Consultative Assembly and the Advisory Committee of Chiefs and Elders, the two only functioning political bodies in the Eastern region, with the massive killings of Ndiigbo and those that look like them, by the Arab-Muslim fundamentalists in the North and elsewhere, after intensive re-assessments and evaluations, ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu to declare secession of the Eastern Region from Nigeria and establishment without further delays the Republic of Biafra. The Peoples Republic of Biafra was amongst others things were meant and instituted to put to stop the bleeding of its peoples and in defense of its peoples and territory. The causes of the actions that ensued are traceable to the pogrom that dates back to 1934 through Madguri 2006. These and many other inter-generational ills, discriminatory practices, marginalization and containment policies against the enterprise—Igbo by fed cannot be overemphasized. Regardless of rescue operations like appointment of Paul Dike to the top rank of Service Chief position, 39 years later is in short too little too late maneuver.

What has sustained the idea Biafra amongst other things is continuous existence of the aforementioned pathological pandemics predicated on unattended pillages and unprecedented breakdown of law and order across the land and, premeditatedly designed to sustain and secure plunderers, liars, looters and their friends and by so doing these illegitimate actions squandered the golden hand shake across the Niger by Dim—evidently and thusly sustaining the disposition and other considerations here and elsewhere that the idea Biafra, is a better idea for Ndiigbo and responsible Nigerians and Nigeria-State. By application, this response of inactions and actions by fed is that live is not guaranteed when it comes to these killings. Igbo has therefore, revealed or unveiled new doctrine called Igbo-Doctrine. Armed with this new doctrine, Ndiigbo and law abiding Nigerians have been warned to prepare itself and defend itself within this unchartered frontier, to fight to a stand still from and within the space they were attacked as this shall be backed-up by a speedy response across the Eastern landscape. This measure is our God given right in defense of our family, elderly and our children. The nation has been warned.

We all know that 2007 is filled with measures of uncertainties and 1966 issues/concerns are yet to be addressed. Corruption and greed then, corruption and greed today are unprecedented. It has become clear that Obasanjo and his cronies will gamble and heat up yet again the body polity. Third term manipulations will be a child’s play considering the contextual theatrical jibes of the actors of this experiment called Nigeria.

By 1967, at the heat of these and similar precipices, one Anthony Eromosele Enahoro arguing against Biafra has this to say in London: “If secession by Ojukwu and his group is accomplished, Nigeria will most probably disintegrate… and a chain reaction will be set up all over Africa. Africa would end up in petty little principalities. Each successor ‘mini state’ would be sovereign enough to acquire foreign protectors and purchase arms. Such situation, with its inevitable dislocations and frictions over boundaries, trade and division of assets, would produce wars.” Some decades later, the same Anthony Enahoro and Olusegun Obasanjo have a different tune and speak with both sides of their months… By July 2, 2002, Enahoro remarked at a Polo Club, Lagos:

“Given our traumatic experience, I suggest that the following question is pertinent: should the constitution allow for the ultimate change of secession? In the past, this issue has been treated as a taboo topic but the absence of thought and debate on this matter is a poor substitute of judgment. Obasanjo has helpfully opened discussion on it in his book This Animal Called Man, wherein he stated that any future constitution of Nigeria must provide for a right of secession. This is but recognition of the reality that, short of brute force, the only way that different nationalities can be kept together in the long term is by their will to stay together.”

This apparently is a new trend for a man whose interviews and public proclamations indeed impeded or resisted even the creation of Midwest. It is therefore clear that, “those who do not learn from History are damned to repeat it…” George Santayana.

As we celebrate the declaration of the great republic—Biafra on May 30, 1967, a battle of attrition executed gallantly and fearlessly, we remember with pride and honor that it was the right thing to do to secure or existence. The actions and freedom of three years which, actions and freedom was differed in January 15, 1970 is up and running again through peaceful means manned by MOSSAB. The Sun has risen and lighted again east of the Niger and this time around we will not blink because Biafrans will never forget the events that led to the massacre of over 6 million of our men, women, children and old people that culminated to the birth of your statehood, a statehood predicated and born in the defense of your family, children, heritage, religion and humanity. For the unlearned, Biafra is a people, Biafra is Igbo; it is our survival and protection of our identity and industriousness; it is our humanity and our heritage. Without the bravery of our men and women who fought gallantly to protect our villages, territorial waters and lands, the likes of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Ekwesiliezes and others would not have survived or lived to have their opportunities today. We owe it to the great men and

Women, who acted with candor, resiliency, gallantry and commitment in the defense of the motherland; these heroes braved the incessant bombardments and were necessary paid the supreme sacrifice by laying down their lives for the sake of their friends, follow Biafrans, their motherland and their dignity. We remember, revere and adore these great men and women, living and fallen heroes today and forever. All hail thee Biafra. Without your volunteerism, Ndiigbo would have been destroyed off of its earth-plate by bloodthirsty Arab-Islamic fundamentalists, enemies of righteousness, enemies of God.

Obafemi Awolowo, an opportunist and other opportunists like him including Anthony Enahoro waged war of treachery, war of criminality and a war of opportunism; they accomplished this criminality by blockading food from international community from entering Biafra territories. The deployment of starvation as a means to starve off Biafra volunteerism predicated on their determination for self-determination, in an effort to free itself from foreign dominance real and imagined within its frontiers is self-evident. We remember your crimes against humanity and you will pay one by one. As long as the spirit of Biafra lives, so does Biafra. Long live Biafra. Long live motherland.

As we review past and present situation, it is important that we call Ndiigbo and sundry to support MASSOB and its members across our land for championing a just and equitable cause for a just society. This is imperative, just as Arewa and Oduduwa and others within this classification serve the interest of their tribes and regions there is nothing wrong in having our young men and women fortifying our space. There are no pretensions that tribalism and ethnicity is first the beginning of our own statehood, without it there is no Nigeria. To postulate the craziness of the fraudulent and pretended engineering, nationalism, was displayed by even the barbaric Abacha. Abacha, wanted the nation to adopt French language as nation’s second language after English language, way ahead of three major tribal languages—Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. That’s how crazy and mundane this place is. Not until there is a true nationalism amassed with sincerity, built and based on enduring sustainable nationalistic tendencies that would produce a viable progressive enterprise for the good of our peoples there will be no turning back.

I understand some of my colleagues on the other side of the equation will be pretty much disappointed in me having served as NANS Chief Mobilization Officer [CMO] at the national level were we made significant impact vis-à-vis June 12 experiment. However, dear friends accept my sympathies. Note that we live in ever changing world and, I am communicating based on the realities on the ground, and this reality is about life and dead. Since 1999 to 2006, over 20,000 Ndiigbo, men, women, elderly and children have being Balkanized under Obasanjo’s watch and machinations. It is pertinent to ask were would my help come from? By commission or omission, evil triumph in our society because good men do nothing, in addition to lawlessness which, has a-washed our society, one is left to himself and his community, left to self-determination to be or not to be part of this arrangement. The chance to provide security and restore law and order to its region, people and our families comes first. Regionalism was the original master plan before the Lord Lugard’s British creationism of 1914; of course this criminal creation served the interest of the British Empire and its vassal states with its African late-comers at one end, and, their greedy beneficiaries that serves as its atlantics interlocutor or, links on the other end.

We shall return to the right to and control of our geopolitical space and claim anew our right to our territorial integrity in any circumstance. It is therefore, pretty clear that there exist a trajectory, contradictions, conflicts between people’s right to self-determination and a nation’s coerced territorial integrity based on black-gold [oil]; there is also additionally, conflict of freedom and unity built on treachery and fraud. UN charter allows for self-determination found in No. 48, 49 of self-determination documentation. But some of its characteristics are self-evident namely I] it shall be a government based on the will of the people; II] freedom from internal and external dominance; III] freedom to pursue economic, cultural and, social development; IV] freedom to enjoy fundamental human rights; V] the absence of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion and or political beliefs.

Recent and past Case studies:

We have witnessed several nations who have seceded or attempted to secede from oppressive govermentalities based on doctrine and rule of self-determination. East Timor as a non-self governing in the 60s, Quebec seceded from Canada on many occasions although by 1998 the Canadian top Court-Supreme ruled against that; Biafra attempted and failed to secede from Nigeria and lunched into three year bitter civil war.

East Timor

By 1999, the UN Security Council reached agreement with the Portugal and Indonesia to allow the people of East Timor to vote on a special autonomy within Indonesia frontiers. Registered voters voted overwhelmingly to move on as independent state. UN was successful in East Timor.

Quebec

This is pretty contradictory to the success in East Timor. By 1998, the Quebec government asked the supreme court of Canada if there are possibilities for Quebec to secede on self-determination based on international law or based on Canadian constitution. The court shutdown Quebec dreams as its population voted against it self-determination quest. What an irony.

Biafra

In 1914 British administrator introduced the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates and Lagos colony, this move was pretty unpopular amongst these populations. Nothing is similar amongst these groups. Not even the language or culture or anything is similar except that they somehow look alike or imbibes the hueism or similarity of color skin. Hausa-Fulani in the North, the Yoruba in the West and the Igbo in the East, and, by the time independent came the three regional powers were threatening secessions. Suspicion, envy and others set the stage. Young Igbo military officers destabilized the center installed Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi as military head and within the space of six months there was a counter coup that brought in Yakubu Gowon [Jack] to power the rest is history, they say. This whole drama, including the killings and displacement of Ndiigbo threw the republic into war.

In addition, just recently Montenegro under the watchful eye of the UN Observer mission, with fewer than 5 million followed through with referendum that determined their self-determination and two weeks or so ago, they are free from treachery in, Kosovo. If UN was to move its machinery into Nigeria with its observer mission, the situation will be an astounding 90% in yes for Biafra. Yes Ndiigbo will vote in mass to extricate itself from current experiment, called Nigeria. In the meantime, many MASSOB leaderships are unlawfully held in incarceration or jails; we call for their immediate release from these criminal and unlawful detentions, unconditionally by the government of Nigeria.

In conclusion, it’s important to reiterate the significant of self-determination call by Ndiigbo. To free Igbo from these illegalities including corruption and contradictions found inside and outside this whole enterprise, Nigeria. For those who are wondering about the Igbo race and its dream for self-determination and the actualization of Republic of Biafra, know yeah this day that we are more determined today, organized, mobilized, stronger more than any other time in history. Those who think we are not united must think again. We might sound differently on issues, that happens because we are republicans and believe in the rule of law, freedom of expression within our political space, freedom which our engineering and democracy for three years. It is our heritage. Make no mistake, when handshake turns into shoving, it shall be revealed unto you that our body politics is our body unity. By application, it is essential that the government of the day do the right thing. We are racing against time. It must be a must do item that Ndiigbo wherever they may be, at home or in Diaspora, must support self-determination. This has become critical that, if, after 45 years of existence, our extraction will not be allowed the opportunity to produce the president of the enterprise, Nigeria. I hear someone remarked at some quarters that this administration appointed more Igbo than any administration in history.

This writer’s response to that remark is vote Igbo president so that we can also have the same opportunity to not only appoint you Ministers and other places of positions but, we will appoint the right and qualified individuals to these positions better than any other group in the history of Nigeria, way better off more than other major tribes—Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba. We have displayed that in the past and can do it again. It is insulting to hear commentaries like the foregoing appointment piece. It is relevant to protect people’s freedom, and people’s right to live, worship were, how and whenever they pleases. It’s called freedom of religion. Both Nigerians and Biafrans can live together with equal opportunity when it comes to running the system[s], resource allocations, employment, restoration of peace and similarly, restructure a better measured security for our peoples and value placed on the essence, sanctity and divinity of human life at all time. No nation can thrive under lawlessness and corruption. Let me finally state that after 39 years of our existence, the great State of Biafra is stronger, better organized and ubiquitously alive. Biafra will be, Nigeria will be.

Carlisle U.O. Umunnah
Is a New York Based Freelance Writer
Contact: cuu1_liberties@yahoo.com
May, 2006

Posted by Administrator at 11:11 AM | Comments (0)