Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, chairman of the Elders Forum of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has refuted claims that he called Yoruba political rascals.
He labeled the items as fake news and informed the authors that it is illegal to spread false information on social media.
Iwuanyanwu addressed the alleged suppression of Igbo voters in Lagos during the March 18 governorship election last weekend while addressing at the Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s one-year in office ceremony in Awka, Anambra State.
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Videos that appeared to have been recorded and were spreading on social media supposedly showed Iwuanyanwu referring to the Igbo attackers in Lagos as “Yoruba rascals.”
The Ohanaeze leader refuted the claims, labeled the video as doctored, and urged anyone who were curious about the truth to view the complete footage on Arise TV and other television networks that covered the event live.
A statement issued by Iwanyanwu reads in part;
My attention has been drawn to a fake news circulating on social media completely misrepresenting the statement I made at Awka Anambra State in connection to the killings, destructions of properties and harassment of Igbos in Lagos during the recent elections. I want to make it abundantly clear that at no time did I make the statement credited to me by blackmail circulating on the social media that Yorubas are political rascals as this was fraudulently manipulated. In my State Imo, I have been honoured with GRAND COMMANDER STATE of IMO . I am indeed the first Igbo man to be so honoured.
As a professional Engineer, I have been honoured with numerous merit Awards including institution of an annual lecture series in my name by my Colleagues in appreciation of my contributions to Engineering, Science Society and Humanity. I have many personal friends and staff of my various companies including directors who are Yorubas. What I did at the ceremony was to admonish Igbos who felt threatened by various attacks in Lagos that they have no cause to worry because there are no problems between Igbos and Yorubas. I therefore told them to stay in Lagos and go about their normal businesses.
I did however mention to them that the attackers are political rascals and their action does not reflect the good relationship between Yorubas and Igbos. What happened to Igbos in Lagos was in the press and Igbos are very grateful to those distinguished and well meaning Yorubas who rose up to speak against the killings, injuries and destruction of properties of Igbos in Lagos only because they voted the candidates of their choice. Ironically, some of the Igbos who lost their properties and who were wounded were not only members of Labour Party but that of some other political parties. This is because I am aware that most Igbos in Lagos voted for the incumbent Governor who in their opinion said the Governor did well in the past four years and deserves to be given another opportunity.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo does not own any political party and we do not control any political party where our members belong. In effect people are free to choose, work for, and vote for any political party of their choice and that’s why Igbos are virtually in all the political parties in the Country. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that the peddlers of this fake news are part of the syndicates that brought misery and sadness to the Igbos resident in Lagos. I am appealing to the Yorubas to fish them out and know that they are portraying Yorubas in a bad light.
