THE Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone is aware of malicious, wicked and hate-laden texts, video and voice note circulating online and on other media platforms purporting that Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, President-General of the apex socio-cultural Igbo group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, is leading an agenda to render an official apology on behalf of Ndigbo to the Fulani over the killing of the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello and others by Chukwuma Nzeogwu......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
On hearing this, the Coalition alerted its research and media departments to carry out investigation and report on the claim, which was considered as weighty. From the whole findings, the Coalition realises that the said allegation is a plot seeking to advance the ultranationalistic agenda of some self-seeking phony group. The truth is that there was no time such an agenda was ever considered during the March 27, 2024 retreat of the Ohanaeze.
Rather than focus on the items and agenda of the summit, which ranged from how to make Igboland self-sufficient and productive and unite together, this phony group chose to hit the media spaces with half-truths, fallacies and outright fabrications. In an attempt to score a cheap academic point, histories were deployed, taking the uninformed through the nuances and subterfuge of these humans. The goal was to smear, rubbish and deconstruct the image, person and achievements of Iwuanyanwu.
The history of the troubled decade, being the 1960s is well known in all respects. Achebe reminds us all that those who do not know where the rain started beating them will equally not know where they dried their body. This, aptly, captures the bundle of lies being circulated against the Ohanaeze family. The place of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in the history of Nigeria, of Igboland, especially the post-war reconstruction era of Igboland cannot be wished away. Apart from various humanitarian ventures, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, through his construction company as a trained engineer, rebuilt most parts of Igboland.
“Sad as it is, the malice and hate on the minds of these individuals manifested clearly in the form of crab mentality, the “pull him down syndrome,” egged on by historical revisionism. The question, however, is: how long can you stand by pulling down your own?
“COSEYL is aware that the same humans never respected the Ohanaeze leadership whether under eminent scholars and diplomats like the late George Obiozor or Nnia Nwodo, regardless of how they emerged; whether by consensus or election. These anarchists will never respect any Igbo constituted authority; even if Michael Ọkpara, Akanu Ịbịam or Mbaọnụ Ojike was to be at the saddle.
“It should be clear to every right-thinking and discerning Igbo that the collective agenda should involve how to accelerate development in Alaigbo, build rail projects that connect cities therein, leverage the vast arable and uncultivated land lying fallow to achieve agricultural revolution in the face of inflation and a worsening food crisis. Above all, how to work towards the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu should also give every Igbo son/daughter cause to worry, not hate and mudslinging, which can only culminate in retrogression.
“If there is an apology owed to any group in Nigeria, it is to the Igbo. The pogroms and genocidal wars of the 1960s through 1970 are not lost to the world, nor to us as youth; and history is not silent on those inhuman experiences either, no matter how the establishment forces try to erase what is the fact.
“As a youth-led group, we urge these renegade brothers and sisters, to retrace and return to the fold. The name of Iwuanyanwu and other Igbo sons and daughters working round the clock to put Ndigbo on the map of world development should not be downgraded because of certain interests. At the end, we all have one Igboland to call home.
“We call on all and sundry to disregard the antics of enemies of Ndigbo and stand solidly behind their able and dynamic leader Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu,, who has dedicated his entire life and resources towards the growth, progress and development of Igboland.
“Igboland will be great with Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu on the saddle as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide,” the group said in the statement.