AFRICA: British Government--Finding a NEW PATH

Some years ago, a highly respected leader told me that someone had shared with him that the origin of the word manager meant to control. "Leadership, on the other hand," he told me, "had a Germanic origin meaning to find a new path."

Right now, at this time in history, almost everywhere in the world, we see things happening that require a new generation of big, bold, innovative leaders to step forth to consider new and promising ideas --- leaders willing to find new paths for peace and prosperity for all the world's nations. Nowhere is the need more pressing and the requirement for new thinking and new vision more URGENT than in Africa. The urgency is not for more aggression or more sanctions. It is for true LEADERSHIP --- the kind that can forge new paths by putting differences to work by honoring them through creative new solutions. Africa represents a place that tragically has been a demonstration, over and over again, of what Albert Einstein warned when he said that "we can solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

With the change of leadership in the British Government, it is clear that Gordon Brown has the opportunity to set an example for the world of true leadership at a new level by rethinking the long-standing failed UK colonial policies related to Africa and piloting a new paradigm --- stepping up to allow a new way to help Africa become whole through the new vision offered in the Multi-Nations Solution --- an idea that if successful could be a role model for change throughout the world. It is an honor, to present the appeal and promise of brilliant new idea shared in the open letter that follows below by Dr. Oguchi Nkwocha, Igbo visionary from south-eastern Nigeria/Biafra:

AN  OPEN  LETTER  FOR  TONY  BLAIR  AND  GORDON  BROWN 
REGARDING  AFRICA

“Blair passes on his African vision” is the title of a recent news transcript by Peter Biles of BBC News, Johannesburg, of “From Our Own Correspondent broadcast on Thursday, May 9th, 2007 at 1100 GMT on BBC Radio 4.”  It is a title evoking feelings of unbridled unease for the reason that the implied recipient of Blair’s vision is Gordon Brown, who was a member of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa; and Brown will also be inheriting the UK government from Blair.

For, it is our opinion and belief that Mr. Blair’s vision of Africa is informed by and founded on the UK government’s policies on Africa; that such policies are an unbroken thread woven from the period and the ingredients of British colonization of Africa; that colonization inflicted the wound which turned Africa, as once described by Blair (according to the broadcast above), “a scar” [“on the conscience of the world”]. We believe that a vision of Africa formulated by the Prime Defender and Executor of government policies which torment Africa (as colonial policies certainly did) cannot be a good vision. And now, both the vision and subtending government are being “passed on” together to Mr. Brown. That is the cause of our trepidation.

AFRICA Solutions (PDF)

Recommittal to Declaration of Biafra May 30 2007 (PDF)

We do not in any way suggest that Tony Blair and or Gordon Brown have less than honorable, charitable intentions towards Africa, nor do we question their commitment to Africa. We do, though, point out that their circumstances make well nigh impossible “thinking outside the box” paradigm for Africa.  That is the cause of our unease. It is essentially clear that without throwing off the old mentality, no significant progress can be made in Africa, which explains why indeed no such significant progress has been made or recorded, despite a huge investment in time, money and personnel.

We can use Nigeria as an example of British policies in Africa. 100 years ago or so, the British applied colonial policies to Nigeria and forced a “non-uniting” British-balkanized “union,” out of peoples with hardly any thing in common save for skin pigmentation. A problem “child” of a State was thus birthed. 100 years later, the UK government is still insisting on keeping Nigeria one, unmoved by Nigeria’s glaring problems which have rendered Nigeria truly unworkable and painted it a caricature to the rest of the world.  This past decade was Blair’s watch: he maintained these policies—as if he had forgotten that these policies led to Genocide against the Igbo and other Biafrans by Nigeria; led to the Biafran war, wherein the British government provided the wherewithal for Nigeria to use hunger as a “legitimate” (Nigeria’s rationale, backed by Britain) weapon of war against Biafrans; led to Muslim domination of Nigeria (British deliberate preference); led to the current morass and looming crisis in Nigeria.  It could well be said that Nigeria is a test of Blair’s Africa vision, as well as his Africa policies: that makes our point and justifies our concerns. 

It is within this context that we implore Gordon Brown to abandon failed Africa policies and failed Africa vision which are now being passed on to him, in order that Africa may escape suffocation.  As these apply to Nigeria, we implore Mr. Brown to re-evaluate the Nigeria-must-remain-one colonial policy and vision of the British government, a policy and vision which have already put Nigeria in coma, one step from final demise; not forgetting that human beings bear the burden and are paying the ultimate price, minute by minute, for these failings.

Specifically, we ask Mr. Brown and the British government to stop blocking a Multi-Nations solution for Nigeria, whereby major Ethnic Nations in Nigeria regain their pre-colonial Independence, Sovereignty and Nationhood. These Nations can then mutually agree on areas of inter-National cooperation among themselves.  There is nothing in this arrangement which should jeopardize genuine and legal British interests in the area: if anything, such interests will be secure and better met than in the no-end-in-sight disaster known by Nigeria.

This paradigm can be applied where appropriate and where desired by the Nations and their peoples in other parts of Africa. We believe that restructuring of the nature suggested by the Multi-Nations solution paradigm will finally neutralize the colonial program which has been running in the background despite so-called Independence of African countries. It is the fact that colonialism still lurks and is active in Africa that is responsible for major ongoing problems of Africa today. Restructuring will eliminate the odious program and lead to more stability and security in Africa.

We urge Tony Blair, for his part, to turn his attention to Biafra—to working for the actualization of Biafra, which fits into the Multi-Nations solution strategy for Nigeria, if he can still find the time to work on Africa, as we predict and hope he will. Biafra has to be a huge burden on the conscience of the British / British government considering the large role played by the British, even as we speak, in the ongoing oppression and persecution and bloodletting by Nigeria of the Biafrans in Nigeria today.  We believe that Mr. Blair will find in the actualization of the Nation of Biafra a new hope for Africa.  And he should discover a true friendship and caring for the British which has always been there but thus far trampled.

We write in order to turn our unease regarding these developments into reassurance. This translates into hope for our people: hope that we will crawl out of imposed bondage and proceed to fulfill life’s aspirations as citizens of the Independent Nation of Biafra; hope that Africa will have found an effective solution for thus far intractable problems, so to arise to fulfill its potential on the globe; hope for the Blair’s and the Brown’s  of this world who strive so hard to make a difference in our world—that they may get tangible and significant results.

In the absence of such hope, we perish—we all perish, together.

Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
A Biafran Citizen
California, USA

On behalf of the Nation and People of Biafra

RELATED PODCAST AND STORIES:
PODCAST with Oguchi Nkwocha, M. D.
STORY #1: NIGERIA: Did you know people are dying?
STORY #2: NIGERIA: GREED, HUMAN ABUSE, STEALING and loving your neighbor?
STORY #3: NIGERIAN LEADERS STOLE 100 BILLION SINCE 1999

Comments

[chukwuji]

BORN AN IGBO IN A MISFORTUNE?
When shall I come out of this prison? And when shall I be loosened from these chains? My heart palpitates, and I am frightened each time I meditate on my condition and on the psychological impact and suffering my children and children's children might, all through life, be going through being born into a misfortune and a setting that is called "Nigeria".

May I use this opportunity to call on Great Britain to "save my soul" and to rescue my progeny from a psychological and physical damage. Set Biafra free. And I think setting the peoples of Africa free is one of the reasons why Great Britain has voted in favour of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples.

The mini-continent state, which Lord Frederick Lugard created in 1914,and named Nigeria, is absolutely unworkable, and has been seen to be so even from its inception till date. And not only that it is unworkable, it has now been looking like a setting in a subtending for-ever-to-be-so policy which Britain sustains, while looking the other way as the people perish. Can it be that Great Britain has no love for the Biafrans? Can it be that it has no love for the African peoples? Or can it be that it enjoys seeing the people suffer and perish? But when I watch Britain vote in favour of that Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, and knowing that Britain is also a signatory to the United Nations Covenants that recognize the right of self-determination as a political right of all peoples, I wave away the hate consideration for the peoples of Africa. "Britain would love the peoples of Africa", I would convince myself. Or is the problem in the error of refering to 'Nigeria' as made up of 'tribes'? Pre-Biafra Nigeria is not a multi-tribal entity. It is not made up of 'tribes' of a 'nation'. And so, it is not 'a nation'. It is a multi-national entity, and each nation has its own many tribes. The Igbo nation has its tribes, just as the Hausa/Fulani, and the Yoruba, have theirs. The Ibibio-efik-Annang nation, have their tribes, just as the Ijaw , and the Ogoja nations have theirs. And these nations were independent and lived relatively peacefully before the colonial British amalgamated them all into the now hellish mini-continent State where the Hausa/Fulani Islamists and the Yoruba opportunists, lord it over the Biafrans, killing them day in and day out,seizing their goods and destroying their fortunes, for wanting to live freely on their own land; and for freely wanting to pursue their own economic, social, and cultural development( rights guaranteed under the international covenants). The Hausa/Fulani, and the Yoruba, are now scrambling for the Biafra oil and other resources with an unspeakable brutality meted out to the people. And Great Britain looks away!

I, Chukwuji Ogbonna, on behalf of the Campaign for Biafra Independence (CBI, a group based in Israel), do here appeal to Great Britain to have compassion on my people by recognizing Biafra as an independent country that the people may have rest in their land. I appeal to Great Britain to allow for a Multi-Nations Solution to the plight of the peoples of the African Continent. Save us, and save our children from thinking that they were born in a setting that is a misfortune. God bless Biafra. And God bless Britain.

[Ethelbert Nwobi.]

A FREE BORN SLAVE,

Every new day of my life, I do ask this simple question " why do we Biafrans live under hail fire?,why must we feel pains and endure freesh sorrowes every new day?,Why can't we enjoy 10% of the nature's gift of "freedom to live"?,why is our future and the future of our children uncertain?,why can't we as human beeings enjoy even single one among other besic necessities of life?,

As I ponder all these things in my heart,I came to realize that the only problem I have in live is my identity bearing the name "Nigeria",I began to wonder what was the cause of this very atrocious act,only then I realized that the problen started in the year 1914 when Lord Frederick Lugard
with his authority as the British representative to west Africa amalgamated the Hausa/Fulani kingdom with the Biafran territory (then soutern protectorate)through her colonail African policy with hope that it would work but untill today it could not work because it cannot work.

I do hereby with all respect call upon GORDON BROWN and the British government to come now and "save my soul before i die". I am sure it is through your great wisdom that you have re-invented your new Multi-Nations Solution in Africa to correct your errors of the past.I am sure you are not in support of these master-minded killings of innocent citizens every day,I am also sure that you are not in support of this "war with out end in Nigeria and all Africa",I am sure that it is because of your desire to correct your errors of the past in Africe that make Britain vote in favour of that Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, and knowing that Britain is also a signatory to the United Nations Covenants that recognize the right of self-determination as a political right of all peoples,I call upon you,PLEASE we Biafrans has GROWN WEARY of these killikngs and call upon you to come and "save our souls before we die".

I want you to consider the fact that, when in the course of human events,it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature's God entitle them,a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation,and since Biafrans has ealier decleared the cause which impel them to separate from Nigeria, and as BIAFRA is the ONLY COURSE FOR US TO FOLLOW, I do hereby appeal to Gordon Brown,and the British government that the State of Biafra is and of right ought to be free and independent from Nigeria and that all political connection between Biafra and Nigeria is,and ought to be totally dissolved. God bless Great Britain.God bless Biafra and all those fighting for her freedom.

Ethelbert Nwobi,
A Biafran Citizen,

[Ajah Robertson]

hello great people, i had just finished reading thee placed on thge net concerning a new vision for Nigeria and Africa,any way Nigeria is not my country but since it is what all Africabs will benefit, i think it is highly enthusiastic and acceptable only if they will not disappoint like the wanted rain]
Robertson,
Biafran Boy.

[Ajah Robertson]

I LOVE BIAFRA
I JUST LOVE BIAFRA
THOUGH 'TIS MY HOME
MAN IS TO LOVE HIS HOME ANY WAY,
BUT SHE IS BOTH HOME AND KINGDOM
TO A BOY LIKE BIAFRAN BOY.
MY VISION THERE IS THAT OF LOVE
MY VISION TELLS THAT BIAFRA,
IS JUST ONLY OF IT KIND
THOUGH NOT YET HELD
BUT TIME IS JUST SLIPPERY
BUT TIME IS JUST TRANSIENT
NO ONE TELL ITS DEFINE
IT COME ONLY BY SELF
AND HASTE BY SELF
SO WITH THE TIME OF WORLD
BIAFRA WILL BE HELD BY BIAFRANS
I AM NOT SCARED IF SHE WILL BE HELD
AM JUST HAPPY THE /TWILL BE HELD
AT LEAST A SLAVE IS ONE DAY FREE
THEN HIS MASTER'S MOROSE GO CHILL
AND NO MORE SERVITUDE
SO LET US BE PATIENT FOR FREEDOM
I LOVE BIAFRA.
Robertson,
Biafran Boy.

[bicycle clothes]

May 9th, 2007 at 1100 GMT on BBC Radio 4.” It is a title evoking feelings of unbridled unease for the reason that the implied recipient of Blair’s vision is Gordon Brown, who was a member of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa; and Brown will also be inheriting the UK government from Blair.