FORMER Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has said that the Federal Government under his leadership fought the Nigerian civil war in 1967 to keep the country as one indissoluble entity. ADVERTISEMENT The former Head of State spoke on Saturday in Abuja at an interactive session with the youth on mentorship, to mark his 80th birthday celebration. Gowon, who noted that he never dreamt of becoming Nigeria’s Head of State at 31, said his love for the country and patriotism saw him fighting to keep Nigeria as one. He said: “Honestly, it was not my intention to be a Head of State; it was by providence. I never planned to be the Head of State. If there is anything I planned to be, it was to rise up to be General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army but not becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” he said. He recalled that there were two coups in Lagos and Kaduna, where most of the senior officers were killed and that the reaction to these further led to the death of the General Officer Commanding overseeing the affairs of the country. Gowon said because of mistrust, “the young officers then said ‘we do not want anybody to give us leadership’ but me. “I told them I did not want that, and that they should give it to any other officer that was disciplined and loyal in his approaches. However, they insisted it should be me,” he said. He advised the youth to shun violence and corruption, describing the Boko Haram insurgents as unfortunate, saying after the Civil war, he never thought that there was going to be another uprising in Nigeria where people would be killed and maimed. The former Head of State also warned against the moves to create additional states, saying that the recommendation by the just concluded 2014 National Conference for the creation of 19 more states along the lines of ethnic nationalities was not good for the country. Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday, heaped encomiums on the former Head of State, describing him on the occasion of his 80th birthday as a worthy, steadfast and iconic feature of Nigerian history. In a congratulatory letter to General Gowon, the President said that the nation would always owe the former Head of State a huge debt of gratitude for successfully managing and guiding Nigeria through an unfortunate civil war, out of which it emerged as an even stronger and more united nation. A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati in Abuja, quoted Jonathan as saying “As you deservedly celebrate this noteworthy anniversary on Sunday, October 19th, 2014, I join your family, friends, protégés and well-wishers in celebrating you and thanking Almighty God for the unique and richly fulfilled life He has blessed you with these past 80 years.”
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 01:32:38 +0000
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