Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has recounted a difficult moment during Nigeria’s civil war era, revealing how foreign service officers of Igbo extraction were compelled to take an oath of allegiance to the Federal Government.
Anyaoku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise TV, where he reflected on the challenges faced by Igbos in diplomatic service at the height of national crisis.
According to Anyaoku, the move by the government at the time created a deeply personal and professional dilemma for many Igbo officers, himself included.
“Well, and commonwealth secretary General took a principled position that all the commonwealth staffs in the secretariat owed a collective allegiance to all the commonwealth countries and not to individual member countries of the commonwealth.”
“This was as a result of the fact that during the crisis, all foreign service officers of Igbo extraction were required to take an oath of allegiance to the federal government and I found it a little difficult to do so,” Anyaoku stated.
He explained that while loyalty to one’s country is expected of diplomats, the circumstances under which the oath was imposed amid intense national division and the trauma of war, made the demand particularly sensitive and painful.
Anyaoku’s account provides a rare insight into the internal conflict experienced by Igbo civil servants serving abroad during the Biafran War (1967–1970), many of whom were caught between ethnic identity and national duty. His recollection also adds to ongoing conversations about reconciliation, unity, and the long-term impact of the civil war on Nigeria’s institutions.
The former diplomat’s comments come as Nigeria continues to grapple with unresolved tensions from its past, including calls for greater ethnic inclusion and honest historical reckoning.
As one of Nigeria’s most respected elder statesmen and global diplomats, Anyaoku’s voice carries weight in national conversations on unity and healing.
Love Reading Authentic News Stories, Click The Button Below
