Former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has told former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, that the various prayer sessions he is conducting would be wasted if he (Gowon) does not apologize to the Igbos over the genocide against them during the 1966 Civil War.

The former Minister conveyed this in a statement he signed on Monday, adding that 300 Igbo army officers, including an Igbo Head of State, were murdered on July 29th, 1966 by northern army officers.

He also reminded the warlord that 30,000 innocent and defenseless Igbo civilians were slaughtered between September and December 1966 by savage and barbaric northern mobs in three separate pogroms in the north before the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war.

“Finally 3 million innocent and defenseless Igbo civilians, including one million children, were targeted and butchered by the Nigerian Army and the northern ‘Gwodo-Gwodo’ auxiliaries and militias during the Nigerian civil war between 1967 and 1970.

“General Yakubu Gowon can conduct all the prayer sessions that he wants for Nigeria but until he acknowledges the fact that the genocide that the Igbo people were subjected to under his watch between 1966 and 1970 was unacceptable and until he appeals to the Igbo nation to forgive Nigeria for what we did to them, things will get from bad to worse.

“Though it is unknown to most, our nation has been afflicted with a deep spiritual wound which was inflicted as a consequence of our barbaric actions over the years and particularly before and during the civil war.

This is a spiritual matter and sadly and regrettably we see its consequences unfolding in the physical realm before our very eyes every day.

“The shedding of innocent blood always results in divine retribution and it goes from generation to generation.

Unless remorse is displayed, forgiveness sought and national repentance is established the cycle of divine retribution and judgment will continue unabated and affect the lives of millions.