The issue of Ohanaeze Ndigbo discussing with the Fulani and begging for the 1966 coup massacre has lingered for a while .
Chief Iwuanyanwu just inherited the begging idea . Full stop
The two men in the voice note Dr Hartford Ugwu and Prof Obasi Igwe are well known to me. Rev Obinna Akukwe can clarify that Dr Harford Ugwu runs Destiny Lineage Trace reconciliation body in Igboland involved in reconciliation, breaking curses while Professor Obasi Igwe is an emeritus of political science at UNN , and a confidant of Biafra leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu. I recall Ojukwu asking me on two occasions in the past whether as ex- students union leader, I knew Dr Obasi Igwe in UNN.
Ohanaeze has always been run by either the NEC, General Assembly, Elders Council or the inner caucus made up of trusted allies and aides of the President General. Iwuanyanwu runs Ohanaeze through NEC and inner caucus and the President General invited Dr Harford Ugwu to the Enugu meeting to do a presentation to Ohanaeze on begging, reconciliation and curses. Dr Harford whose reconciliation effort have brought peace to some communities in Igboland is also the Publicity Secretary of United Igbo Elders Forum.
Eventually, another informed Igbo scholar, Dr Dominic Okechukwu , instead, did a presentational on reconciliation which Ohanaeze commended at the said meeting.
Therefore, the idea of N100 billion exchanging hands for the begging project as espoused by Prof Nwankwo T Nwaezeigwe, Odogwu of Ibusa, and sections of IPOB is not true.
However, if N100 billion was given for the begging project, certainly, Iwuanyanwu was not the recipient, maybe somebody else received it on behalf of Ndigbo.
Therefore, the idea to beg the Fulani is an old one, the Fulani helped Prof Obiozor win Ohanaeze Presidency at the Owerri poll .
The Fulani rejected the candidatures of Dr Joe Nwaorgu and Prof Chidi Osuagwu as being too tilted to handshake across the Niger, and specifically informed the South East Governors, Cabinet Ministers and Ohanaeze leaders of their choice.
The idea of begging the Fulani was mooted again under Nnia Nwodo, but the conflict was which of the Fulani section should be begged. Traditional institutions or Politicians.
Atiku Abubakar hijacked the begging process, and tailored it to his political demands.
The selection of Peter Obi as running mate to Atiku Abubakar was a product of the earlier secret Ohanaeze begging, but Atiku’s choice of Obi did not go down well with those who initiated the begging.
In response to the earlier begging Muhammadu Buhari , not trusting the Atiku begging deal, wrote instead to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, again ,demanding audience in 2019, to discuss the problems and priorities of Ndigbo ahead of the presidential polls.
Atiku, who ran Ohanaeze from Adamawa for many years, stifled the letter, and Ohanaeze NEC refused to discuss Buhari’s letter to Ndigbo.
Buhari singlehandedly wanted to send an executive bill to National Assembly for the creation of additional state for Ndigbo, and conveyed the intentions to South East Governors Dave Umahi, Willie Obiano, Okezie Ikpeazu, Hope Uzodimma and Ugwuanyi at a meeting in Aso Rock.
The governors referred the matter to Ohaneze Ndigbo and it died a natural death because the begged section of Fulani does not want Buhari’s Fulani group to take the credit for additional Igbo state.
Therefore, the denial of the begging plot is an afterthought. It has been an Ohanaeze secret project ,and youth bodies are never taken into confidence when such is being discussed.
I am aware that an Ohanaeze Committee has already initiated the begging process in Abuja, with many northern groups and it is yielding fruit.
Rev Obinna Akukwe advises that all the parties to the begging scandal should sheathe their sword vis the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Ohanaeze Worldwide, Ohanaeze factions , Ohanaeze Youth Groups because if everything about this begging is exposed , there would be no peace in Igboland.
Rev Obinna Akukwe
DG, Igbo Mandate Congress IMC
Vice Chairman, Ohanaeze Integrity Groups IOIG
