1966 Coup: No plan to apologise to Fulani — Ohanaeze

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has outrightly refuted claims by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that the group is plotting to apologise to the Fulani ethnic group for the killing of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa during the 1966 coup.

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President General of the Igbo group on Saturday described the report as wicked and false.

The elder statesman insisted that the Igbos had nothing to do with the coup, adding that it was unfair and unjust to accuse them of being responsible for it.

He declared that Ohanaeze Ndigbo would never apologise for something they did not do.

Iwuanyanwu made the rebuttal while addressing newsmen in Owerri.

He said, “I was shocked to read a voice message alleging that we held a retreat at Enugu state, and it was poorly attended. The voice message was false, malicious and wicked and in the voice message that we had a retreat and that in the meeting we said we were going to Sultan of Sokoto to apologize to them for the killing of Ahmad Bello and the other things that happened in the 1966 coup.

“This did not happen. I did not expect this false report. It was done by one Mr Ugwuh and Obasi. They were making caricatures of me. The next day another record went viral and where the same Ugwuh was saying that what they earlier said was wrong, fortunately, most people who called at that time knew it was fake.

“Let me say this, the retreat in Enugu was for the setting up of committees for the development of Igboland. I commend the governor of Enugu state, for his support to host the meeting. We did not want governors, it was just for committees and over 200 people came. It was only the Governor of Enugu that came, we did not bother other governors to come because it was a meeting of committees so there was no need inviting other governors.

“We have committees for Education, health, skills acquisition, Ohanaeze relief agency, through which we can distribute relief materials to our people. We have started to reach out to our people in other parts of Igboland.”

Speaking on the viral voice message, Iwuanyanwu said, “Igbos are not responsible for the coup in 1966, It was entirely a military affair. It was not carried out to make any Igbo man leader and a beneficiary.

“You remember that the coup failed and if there is any tribe that suffered from that coup was the Igbos because the igbos were massacred. We lost our businesses. So how can we go to beg anybody and we did not kill anybody. We did not have anything to do with that coup.

“We, Ohanaeze object to anybody profiling it to be Igbos. So, anybody who says we are going to apologize is not true. Even from the books I wrote we never sent anybody on that coup. So it pains me people tell lies to damage my name that we are going to apologize over that coup. So, the story is lies.”

“At the end of the war, there was no Vvctor nor vanquish. The Nigeria government honoured the 3r, rehabilitation, reconstruction but they did not do the reconciliation and that is what Ohanaeze Ndigbo is doing now.

“Finally, part of what we agreed in that retreat was that we are going to publish a book to be called ‘This Is Our Story’. It will tell our story starting from the time of war till this moment. So, as a father I will forgive them, those who did the evil voice message. So far, Ugwuh has apologized and I have forgiven him.

“Even the move to free Nnamdi Kanu, I have done a lot, I am the one who started the move to free Kanu, and many were bold to join me because they have respect for me and followed me. All our governors are calling for Kanu’s to be released,” Ohanaeze PG said.