From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has said that Nigeria should apologize to Ndigbo for the hatred, killings and destruction of their property over the years in parts of the country.
President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation stated this Sunday evening in the State of Igbo Nation interview he granted on Zoom.
He debunked some audio recordings insinuating that the Igbo were planning to apologise to the Fulani over the killing of Ahmadu Bello during the January 15, 1966 Coup.
He declared that the Igbo owed nobody apology over the 1966 coup, stating that he never contemplated, intended, mulled or canvassed begging the Fulani.
“I don’t expect that somebody or a Christian will come out and tell a complete false story against me. I never said anything like that, it was baseless and outright falsehood,” Iwuanyanwu said.
The purveyors of the falsehood, according to him, claimed that sending emissaries to beg the Fulani over the January 1966 military coup was part of the resolutions at the March 27 Retreat of Ohanaeze Committees alongside the leadership of the group.
But Iwuanyanwu said that the propaganda including that “Ohanaeze Ndigbo received 100 billion naira as Fulani bribe for a kangaroo apology on behalf of Ndigbo for Nzeogwu’s assassination of Ahmadu Bello,” was intended to create mistrust and taints on the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
He disclosed that the author of the falsehood, who stirred the hornet’s nest, had regretted over what he called a slip of tongue and apologized profusely.
Iwuanyanwu also raised the alarm that his life was under threat disclosing that he was getting all manner of calls following his role as Ohanaeze leader.
Elsewhere, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia bemoaned the Igbo penchant for pulling down their leaders.
“Evidently, we the Igbo destroy the Igbo in diverse ways; and turn around to claim that others are after us. When it was Chief Nnia Nwodo as the President General of Ohanaeze, the same group bombed the house of Nwodo at Ukehe; and pronounced him a saboteur that should be stoned to death wherever he was found. The matter took the author to Chief Mbazulike Amaechi house at Ukpor and Chief Amaechi was shocked to discover that they fabricated falsehood against Nwodo. And they apologized.
“Then Obiozor: Prof. George Obiozor drafted the letter with which Chief Emeka Ojukwu was granted pardon. The trio of Obiozor, Chuba Okadigbo and Nnia Nwodo played greater roles for Ojukwu to return in 1982. Then Obiozor was not Fulani. The same Obiozor led the Igbo contingent to the National Constitutional Conference under Jonathan and landmark results were achieved. Obiozor was not Fulani. When the Ohanaeze presidency was zoned to Imo State and the Imo elders presented Obiozor to Hope Uzodimma, he, Obiozor suddenly became Fulani,” Ogbonnia stated.