The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has cried out over death threat.
He is alleging that some Igbo people are out to destroy him for committing no crime except for being the President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.
According to him, same people were responsible for the death of the late former President General, Prof George Obizor after they burnt his residence in Imo State.
According to him, Obizor died after his house and his academic works were burnt down.
He, however, vowed that the apex Igbo body had decided to deal decisively with those described as dissidents whom he said were working against Igbo interests and using the name of Ohanaeze to trade with some political harlots.
Briefing journalists late Wednesday evening at Ohanaeze’s National Secretariat in Enugu after a long hours of meeting of the National Executive Committee of the organisation, the President General, vowed that those charlatans would no longer be allowed to have their way anymore.
“They tried to assassinate former President General Chief Nnia Nwodo and he was lucky he was not at home. They bombed his house. The same gang tried to assassinate late Chief George Obizor and when they could not get him directly, they burnt his residence. It was after the burning of his house and everything – his books that he died of the shock.
“Every President of Ohanaeze they will try to assassinate and now they are trying to assassinate me for doing no wrong other than that I accepted to serve Ndigbo despite my age.
“We are going to investigate the people who want to assassinate Nwodo, who killed Obiozor.”
Iwuanyanwu, however, warned that “if what is happening in Igbo land today is not nipped in the bud now, it is going to be very disastrous for Ndigbo in the future.”
The apex Igbo body insisted that there is no faction in Ohanaeze Ndigbo, saying only the Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo that exists.
Iwuanyanwu stated that after the meeting of the NEC, the Igbo apex body decided to submit the names of the dissidents led by one Okechukwu Isiguzoro who parades himself as the Secretary General of Ohanaeze to Ime Obi, the highest decision-making body of Ohanaeze for necessary punishment.
According to Iwuanyanwu, their names would also be sent to all Igbo communities to be ostracised, while lamenting with pain the subversive activities of the group who he said were being driven by money had caused the Igbo Race.
Iwuanyanwu said he had a father called Isiguzoro and advised him, but he allegedly made demands of huge amounts to take care of his health.
He said “I promised to assist but still he did not stop issuing illegal statements to always counter Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s position on issues, just to confuse the public. He requested that Ohanaeze should give N50 million to go to Germany for medical treatment or he will continue to sabotage Ohanaeze’s activities.”
While he ruled out that the dissidents were being sponsored by some politicians because of their political interest, the President General explained that one Engr. Ibe who was working with them as the factional president general of Ohanaeze had come to him to tender an apology and professed his support to his administration while noting that he was no more with them.
Iwuanyanwu said that the most painful action taken by the dissidents was a rumour they circulated last week, accusing him of planning to go and beg the North for civil war.
“I have never visited Sokoto State in the past 30 years or so. I visited Sokoto last when I ran for the contested for president of Nigeria so many years ago. Such a thing was never contemplated or discussed at any Ohanaeze Ndigbo meeting,” while insisting that such would never happen.
He insisted that the 1966 military coup was not plotted by Igbo officers, rather an Igbo General stopped it, saying that Igbo deserve commendation for that.
“The coup of 1966 is a military affair and not an Igbo affair.
“Nigerians should beg the Igbo and not the Igbo to beg the north because we are the people gravely injured.”
Iwuanyanwu, however, announced that the NEC of Ohanaeze had decided to take the activities of the dissidents to Ime Obi to take drastic action because if they are not stopped now, they will destroy Igbo land.
