Radio Biafra controversy: Igbo leaders call for caution

As the federal government and operators of the rebel Radio Biafra continue to disagree over the operations of the radio station, Igbo leaders have weighed into the issue and called on the government to exercise caution. EZUGWU OBINNA reports

There appears to be no end in sight to the controversies surrounding the operation of Radio Biafra as the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the proprietors of the station have continued to make claims and counter claims over the continued clamp down on the station. To this end some concerned Igbo leaders have begun to advice the Federal Government and the broadcasting regulatory body to tread cautiously to avoid actions capable of instigating a hitherto peaceful group to violence.

Early last week, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan claimed that the NBC had successfully jammed Radio Biafra signals, describing its broadcast as illegal. But the proprietor of the station, Nnamdi Kanu quickly countered her claims and insisted that Radio Biafra was still transmitting its programmes.

His claims were variously corroborated by several followers of the station who confirmed on various social media platforms that they were still receiving signals from the station. Hallmark had also confirmed that the station was still on air contrary to the earlier claim by Dr. Esan.

Nonetheless, the NBC understandably continued its effort to stop the station’s transmission. Hallmark learned that the regulatory body eventually succeeded in compelling Satlink Communication, an Israeli company which was said to be providing satellite transmission platforms to the station to terminate its contract with Mr. Kanu and Radio Biafra.

The consequent termination of the said contract, Hallmark gathered, affected the transmissions of the station as some of its transmitters went off air, but it was not long before the engineers manning the network found their way around and restored the transmitters.

Having outmaneuvered the NBC, Mr. Kanu announced on Thursday that he had superior technology and cannot be stopped; he accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of wasting tax payer’s money in an attempt to stop Radio Biafra even though, according to him, such is not possible.

“Radio Biafra is back in Onitsha, Aba, Asaba Igweocha and Warri, we have superior technology,” Kanu noted. Addressing President Buhari, he said “Keep wasting the zoo’s money bribing satellite carriers and conniving with the British to remove Radio Biafra whilst Boko Haram on your backing is perishing hopeless Nigerians, we are formidable.”

The Radio Biafra proprietor also called on his followers to use Satlink Communication’s twitter handle to send them protest messages for breaching their contract, stating that he had reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu in that regard.

“Great Biafrans, here is the twitter handle of Satlink Communication that terminated our contract with them. Buhari bribed them with billions of naira to terminate our contract with them because Radio Biafra is shaking the very foundation of the zoo. We are great, formidable and unstoppable. Radio Biafra is up and running five hours after the cancellation.

“I have just tweeted Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu. Let us all tweet now to let the whole Israel know what an Israeli company did to the persecuted people of Biafra,” Kanu wrote.

On Friday however, the NBC came up with further claims that it had neutralized illegal broadcast of Radio Biafra which it explained had disrupted peace in the South East zone of the country through its hate and inciting broadcasts. The body went ahead to state that it had confiscated the station’s transmitters and arrested its engineers.

The claims were contained in a release by the Director-General of the commission, Emeka Mba. He assured that efforts were being made to remove the transmissions of the station from satellite, cautioning that the country could not afford another blood-letting after the civil war.

“The National Broadcasting Commission has effectively neutralized the illegal broadcasts from the seditious pirate radio station that has recently shattered the peace in parts of the South East of Nigeria with unsavoury hate messages,” Mba’s statement read.

“Working with security operatives, the commission has also tracked down, neutralized and confiscated transmitter equipments from several locations in the region. Some suspects involved in the illicit broadcasts have also been arrested and taken to Abuja for questioning and prosecution.”

But Mba’s claims nonetheless, turned out to be yet another fluke as the station once again countered the NBC, clarifying not only that it was still transmitting but also that its equipment and engineers were still secure. A post by Mr. Kanu on the station’s Facebook wall accused the NBC of feeding Nigerians with lies while urging his supporters to remain steadfast.

“We want to categorically report to the great and hardcore ‪‎Biafrans that the news going around the media that our engineers were arrested by DSS is false, all our engineers are intact. We urge you to remain formidable and disciplined, the battle is heavy and we are winning already.

“We are live in Biafra land. Call on Chukwu Okike Abiama to help us all and our leader Nnamdi Kanu,” the statement read. Radio Biafra is back in Biafra land, CHK 102.1 in the whole of Biafra land. We are unstoppable. We are formidable. We Biafrans have superior technology. All that money is wasted,” the statement affirmed.

Checks by Hallmark revealed that Radio Biafra was indeed transmitting in most of the South East and South-South states, including Port Harcourt as Kanu said. So far, it appears as though the attempts by the NBC and Federal Government to stop the station have been exercises in futility. Such have on the contrary, made the station stronger and even more popular.

Recent reports  allegedly released by TuneIn, a privately held US based company that offers users the opportunity to listen to streaming audio with smart phones and tablets and has over 10,000 radio networks, put Radio Biafra as the number one most listened radio station in the world at the moment.

Such may not be surprising considering the amount of tension being generated by Radio Biafra in the country presently which has continued to attract more listeners by the day. The fear thus is that if the Federal Government continues to make efforts to clamp down on the station, such may take a dangerous turn that may add to the already challenging security situation in the country.

The argument is that using force to contain Radio Biafra may lead to a situation where its core supporters may take up arms in defence. Some Igbo leaders who barred their minds to Hallmark faulted attempts by the NBC to clamp down on the station, insisting that since the station is not violent; trying to use force to stop them might indeed compel them to retaliate with force which will create a crisis situation. As a way out, they advised the NBC to register the station and begin to regulate its contents.

Foremost Igbo leader and president, Igbo Cultural Society of Nigeria, Chief Udoka Udeogaranya for instance, insisted that there was no basis for blocking Radio Biafra signals since according to him, they are not violent.

“The people making these agitations are not violent; there is no basis for jamming the station. The NBC should go back to the constitution and read what it said about freedom of speech, jamming the station is not correct,” Udeogaranya said.

He further attributed the emergence of the station to the existing divergent views in the country. “There is conflict in almost every nation today, as long as people have different views, there is bound to be conflict. All the agitations should be handled maturely and diplomatically with dialogue. The state needs to meet the fundamental rights of the people,” he said.

In his own reaction, an APC chieftain in Lagos State, Chief Anselem Njoku explained that there was nothing wrong with Radio Biafra since it is broadcasting peacefully.  He also encouraged the government to look into what the issues are and address them.

“The truth is that everybody should be free to agitate for what is good for them; there is nothing wrong with Biafra agitation and Radio Biafra. But Biafra can only be achieved through dialogue; I don’t see the agitations doing any harm to the government.

“It would rather make the government realize that every Nigerian needs to be treated equally. There is no doubt that the Igbo are still being marginalized in the country today. If Radio Biafra is the only way they want to address the issue, it is better than carrying arms. The NBC should legalize the station and then regulate its content if necessary,” Njoku advised.

Their views were nonetheless, countered by that of Mr. Abia Onyike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who insisted that since Radio Biafra was a rebel radio station, it was expected that the government should move against it.

“Radio Biafra is a rebel station. There is no way you would expect a constituted authority not to bring it to an end. I do not subscribe to the activities of Radio Biafra because it is diversionary. We have not taken arms against the Nigerian State,” he said.

Onyike however, cautioned the APC led government to be mature in running the government and stop marginalizing the Igbo in appointments in the interest of national unity.

President Buhari and his entourage had a private dinner with former US Secretary of State, Madeline Albright at the Blair House yesterday