Businessman and President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has alleged that his life is under threat.
Addressing a briefing at the secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu on Wednesday evening, Iwuanyanwu said some Igbo, whom he described as anti-Igbo, have orchestrated plans to either kill him or burn his house over his leadership of Ndigbo.
He alleged the same group of persons threatening his life caused the death of his predecessor, Prof George Obiozor, and attempted to kill former president general, Nnia Nwodo.
“This has become very dangerous. These people have carried this too far. Sometimes ago, I got some information that some people were coming to burn my house; that people said they were hired to come and burn my house,” he said.
“Some people also said they were hired to come and kill me; all sorts of stories like that. And I started asking myself: what is it that I have done that would warrant that my house should be burned; that I should be killed?
“I told those people that they shouldn’t worry. Fortunately, one of them said that the person they hired said that I trained his brother in the university. You know I had a scholarship scheme that trained over 5,000 young people in the university. So he said his brother was trained by me and so he cannot burn my house.
“I feel sad that I should be confronted by some of these types of spectre of threats just because I want to serve my people.
“I have looked at my past career and seen how God blessed me. At 82 when I’ve retired, for me now to come back to serve my people and to find myself completely engulfed in this type of mess with Isiguzoro.
“I’m somebody who is dogged and can’t easily be pushed around. God has given me the heart and determination to serve my people.”
Iwuanyanwu stated the group tracked Obiozor to his village to kill him and when they failed to get him, they set his house on fire.
“Obiozor died as as result of that attack on his country home because as a diplomat, all his books, awards and recognition were totally burnt and these were things he cherished so much.
“In the case of Nnia Nwodo, as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, they trailed him to his village in Ukehe, Enugu state and threw bomb into his house. Fortunately, he was not there,” he added.
Iwuanyanwu stated that former president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, late Pro Joe Irukwu, also suffered similar fate when he was accused of receiving millions of naira to work against the interest of Igboland, adding that “Irukwu painfully carried the allegation until his death”.
He also bemoaned the Igbo penchant for pulling down their leaders.
He said, “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.”
Iwuanyanwu also debunked some viral audio recordings insinuating that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was planning to apologise over killings during the January 15, 1966 coup.
