A youth pressure group, Abia North Youth Agenda, ANYA, has expressed mixed feelings regarding the recent revelations of General Ibrahim Babangida regarding the 1966 Coup that led to widespread pogrom and the eventual declaration of Republic of Biafra in 1967. This is after raising many worrisome questions as to the real intentions of the ex military head of state and the timing.

The Coordinator of the group, Hon. Udoeze Kalu, dropped some posers directed at IBB who he said took over 60 years to speak up on this burning issues that has remained a stain in the trajectory of Nigeria history, albeit, the injustice meted on Ndigbo in Nigeria from then to this moment. He queries the reason why is it that after revealing that the 1966 Coup was tagged “Igbo Coup” as a propaganda to demonize and deal with the Igbo people, how come he never made any attempt to reintegrate the Igbo when he held swear as the Military President for many years? During his reign as head of state when he takes order from nobody, IBB never said the truth or made effort to calm the hatred on Igbo people over nothing, why the sudden change of mind?

To transition to Civilian rule, IBB and the power sharers after anuling victory of Chief MKO Abiola handed over power to President Obasanjo as compensation for Abiola’s mandate, even when Alex Ekwueme was the most qualified to lead Nigeria. After his turn, the power was handed back to the North who in turn handed back to another Yoruba man because again “It was their turn”. Are we as a people sustaining this lies to continue to demonize Ndigbo in Nigeria and deny them of their right as Nigerians which was the original purpose of tagging the 1966 Coup “An Igbo Coup “.

Lets assume that IBB was economical with the truth till 2025, is his revelation a sign that the North is finally ready to correct the foundational errors of Nigeria by supporting an Igbo candidate to emerge as Nigeria’s president in compensation for the propaganda they have so much suffered for or is he trying to further divine the South so that the North can have a smooth ride back into power while the South East and South West are grabbing for each others’ jugular?

Udoeze Kalu believes that the true intentions of IBB will be revealed in the course of time because the period he has chosen to reveal a secret he has borne with him for over 60years and allowed a particular tribe to suffer the lies all these years is a sign that Nigeria has no true patriots, but a group of desperate men who are keen on amassing wealth and enjoying power even if the nation is on fire.

IBB should tell us his true intentions.