|
Listen to article
|
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang apologized to the Igbo community Monday for the state’s role during the Nigerian Civil War, telling a gathering of Igbo leaders that Plateau’s people had been “deceived” into participating in the conflict, according to a report by The Guardian.
Mutfwang made the apology during an interactive session with Igbo leaders from Plateau’s 17 local government areas at the Government House in Little Rayfield, Jos. He urged both communities to move past the episode and deepen ties between them.
“I apologise to the Igbos so that we can put the past behind us and continue to foster unity. We have become one family because our people were deceived into going to war, and we regret it,” Mutfwang said, calling on residents to close that chapter and build a shared future.
The governor credited the Igbo community with contributing significantly to Plateau’s socio-economic development, describing its members as integral to the state’s growth. He noted Plateau has remained one of Nigeria’s more accommodating states for Igbo residents since the war ended, and recalled that compensation had previously been paid for some losses suffered during the conflict.
Mutfwang also appealed directly to Igbo entrepreneurs operating in Plateau, asking them to extend mentorship and investment opportunities to young Plateau indigenes. “Nigeria is a great country, and no ethnic group has demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit more than the Igbo. I encourage you to replicate that same spirit in Plateau,” he said.
The meeting produced a political dividend for Mutfwang beyond the reconciliation gesture: Igbo community leaders used the gathering to formally endorse him as their consensus candidate for the 2027 governorship election. President-General of the Igbo Community in Plateau State, Chief Chidi Onah, announced the endorsement, citing Mutfwang’s handling of resources and record on peaceful coexistence.
“We hereby endorse Governor Caleb Mutfwang as the consensus candidate of the Igbo community for the 2027 governorship election. This endorsement is based on his competence, integrity, proven leadership and commitment to equity,” Onah said, adding that the governor had stood by the community during the death of its traditional ruler and had engaged stakeholders to promote unity among Plateau’s diverse ethnic groups.
Onah separately credited Mutfwang for compensating some community members over disputed properties and noted that Igbo people have lived in Plateau since before Nigeria’s 1960 independence, framing the community’s presence in the state as long-standing rather than recent.
Read Also: 2027: Sokoto ADC Picks Rep Ambarura As Deputy Gov Candidate
Former Igbo Community Association President-General Mike Okunonke told the gathering the endorsement rested on performance rather than party loyalty. “We will vote for personalities, not political parties. Governor Mutfwang has demonstrated capacity by creating opportunities and reducing unemployment. We will mobilise our members across the 17 local government areas to support him,” Okunonke said.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Igbo Affairs, Barr. Jonah Okechukwu Ezekweme, urged community members to back Mutfwang’s second-term bid while continuing to partner with the state government on employment and business initiatives for young people. High Chief Felix O. Akpunku, who welcomed attendees on the governor’s behalf, praised Mutfwang’s development projects across the state.
The session also featured the formal presentation of Onah as the new President-General of the Igbo Community Association, handed over by outgoing President-General Chief Mike Ifeanyi Okunonke. Other speakers, including Chief Dr. Nelson Mkparu and Hon. Maureen Odilimuo, praised the governor’s engagement with the community and pledged continued cooperation.
Read Also: Police Restore Calm In Osogbo As NURTW Factions Clash Again
Plateau State sits within Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region whose involvement in the 1967-1970 civil war has drawn less sustained public attention than that of the war’s principal Eastern Region and federal military government combatants. The conflict, fought after the Eastern Region declared itself the Republic of Biafra, drew federal forces from across Nigeria’s regions, including areas now comprising present-day Plateau State, into military campaigns against Biafran forces. Public apologies from state governments for regional participation in the war remain uncommon in Nigerian politics, making Mutfwang’s remarks a notable departure from how the conflict is typically addressed by sitting officials, most of whom avoid direct commentary on the war’s regional culpability.
The meeting closed with both the Plateau State Government and the Igbo community reaffirming commitments to peaceful coexistence and continued collaboration, though no specific policy measures or timelines were announced as outcomes of the session.
