By Charles Obi
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has revealed how his life and home were saved by one of those contracted to carry out the heinous crime.
Iwuanyanwu, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, disclosed his close shave with the arsonists when he raised alarm that his life was under serious threat. He said there were plans to either kill him or raze down his home.
According to him, the treatment given to his predecessor in office, Professor George Obiozor, was reserved for him but for one of those contracted to carry out the crime who backed out at the last moment because of the kindness which he, Iwuanyanwu, extended to his family.
Recall that Obiozor, renowned diplomat, academic and administrator, died of what many felt was heartbreak, shortly after his country home in his Awo-Omama, Imo State Community, was razed completely down by gunmen. Gone was everything he had struggled for in life, especially, his journey as a diplomat.
Chief Iwuanyanwu revealed that the mission of those who razed down Obiozor’s country home was to murder him. When they got to his home, however, they discovered he was not home. Their next option was to raze down his home. Obiozor never recovered from it.
Recounting his own ordeal, Iwuanyanwu said the same group planned to give him same treatment but was aborted when one of those contracted recalled how his brother was put through University by him, Chief Iwuanyanwu.
He said what he is going through because he is Ohanaeze President General “is becoming dangerous.” Aside from Obiozor’s case, Iwuanyanwu recalled that past Presidents of Ohanaeze suffered one near- calamity or other. For instance, he recalled that the home of Nnia Nwodo was bombed. Luckily for Nwodo, he was not there. In the case of Professor Joe Irukwu, he was falsely accused of receiving hundreds of millions of Naira to compromise Igbo interest, an allegation Iwuanyanwu said, Irukwu carried to his grave.
He identified those behind these atrocities as “some South Easterners” who are anti-Igbo, and now ready to kill him.
Iwuanyanwu: “This has become very dangerous. These people have carried this too far.
“Sometime ago, I got information that some people were coming to burn my house; that people said they were hired to burn my house.
“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 youths 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 snd to find myself completely engulfed in this type of mess.
“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.
“Obiozor died as a result of that attack in his country home because as a diplomat, all his books, awards, and recognitions were totally burnt, and these things he cherished very 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 bombs into his house. Fortunately, he was not there.
“Professor Joe Irukwu, also, suffered similar fate when he was accused of receiving millions of Naira to work against Igboland. Irukwu painfully carried the allegation until his death.”
