The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has categorically debunked allegations made by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that he intended to apologize to the Fulanis for the killing of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa duringg the 1966 coup.
Iwuanyanwu who spoke in Owerri, the Imo State capital at the weekend said that it was unfair and unjust to accuse the Igbos of being responsible for the coup and that Ohaneze Ndigbo would never apologize for something they did not do.
“I was shocked to read a voicemail message which was circulating all over the country and all over the world alleging that we held a meeting in Enugu and that the meeting was poorly attended where the decision was taken that we are going to Sokoto to apologise to the Fulanis over the death of Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa and other Northerners.
Iwuanyanwu said, They abused me and insulted me. I read it and I was sad. I don’t expect that somebody or a Christian will come out and tell a completely false story against me. I never said anything like that.”
He explained that the recent retreat in Enugu was actually a meeting of committees established for the development of Igboland and that the issue of apologizing to the Fulanis was never discussed.
He emphasized that the Igbos were not responsible for the 1966 coup, which he described as a purely military affair.
“Igbos didn’t kill anybody or leader, but the Igbos were killed. So, as far as Ohaneze Ndigbo is concerned, Igbo did not have any business with that coup, that coup was purely a military affair like other coups that occurred in the country,” he said.
Iwuanyanwu expressed his disappointment and pain over the lies told against him and stated that he had always worked to bring dignity to the Igbos and Nigerians.
He explained why the group did not invite the Southeast governors to the event.
“We didn’t invite the governors because we felt that the governors are too busy to leave their state affairs to attend committee meetings,, but it was well attended. We had over 200 people at the meeting which was televised,” he said, adding “Somebody told lies that nobody came, in fact I received congratulatory messages from all over the world.”
