FORMER Nigeria’s Head of State, Geneneral Yakubu Gowon (retd) Sunday reiterated his call on different ethnic groups agitating for self determination to have a rethink, admonishing all Nigerians to work hard to convince all aggrieved people to imbibe the ideals one young Nigerian enunciated in an article during the Nigerian Civil War, urging fellow citizens to Go On With One Nigeria.
Yakubu Gowon
Speaking after receiving the 2017 Leadership Award at this year’s Trinity House Honour Nigeria Awards in Lagos for his sterling leadership role in Nigerian and African politics, the founder of Yakubu Gowon Centre revealed reasons why he declared “No Victor No Vanquished”, and what made him more determined to ensure that Nigeria remains one.
Gowon who thanked the church and its leadership for the honour, dedicating the award to the Nigerian who gave him the support throughout his regime and right uptil now in an interview with journalists said: ” I am really humbled and grateful for this honour done to us today. I’m grateful also to know that so many people have been honoured before now, all deserving of the honour that they got. Mine is for leadership. I can assure you that leadership wouldn’t have been possible without that patriotic Nigerian who asked me whether I know the meaning of ‘Gowon.’ I replied him, “it’s my name” and in my local language it means the owner of the masquerade in a gong.
“That young man wrote an article in one of the dailies, and when I read the article that early morning, he gave the meaning of Gowon as ‘Go On With One Nigeria.’ He created an acronym that Goes on with one Nigeria. I can assure you, I was very impressive as I said, so this is what Nigerians want me to do and this is what I was trying to get Nigerians to support me do it.
” But that message made me to be more determined to ensure that Nigeria remains as one for all of us and for the future generations. The honour today, I accept it on behalf of all Nigerians, past, present and also future. This church is about the love of God and the unity of the country.
We can make Nigeria great. Forget all the differences happening and the harassment here and there. Nigeria is a great country,” he said.
The former military Head of State commended the Trinity House, saying “God is saying to Nigerians, we are His people and Nigerians are highly religious. Even the traditional religion worshippers, they always worship that unknown God. That unknown God is the God Almighty that we all believe in.
Honestly, I was touched to know that we all have to work to achieve the greatness of Nigeria. Every Nigeria must contribute his or her quota to keep the country as one.”
Asked what he thinks of current agitations for self determination several years after the Nigerian Civil War, Gowon said: “I think I have answered it. You work hard to make sure you convince those who are calling for the break up of Nigeria. Tell them that Nigeria is one. This is what Nigerians told me to do, and this is what I tried to do. And I can achieve that through your help. We should work hard to convince those who want the country to break up. I can assure you there are more people who love Nigeria and would want Nigeria to continue to exist as one nation than those who are trying to create problem for the country.”
Continuing, the convener of Nigeria Prays urged every Nigerian to be honest to God, saying “if you are honest to God and you love Him the way you should, and also, your neighbour…honestly, if we can practice that, things will begin to work well for us all. I love Nigeria, I believe in Nigeria like many other Nigerians.
“Like that young man that wrote the article, telling me that the meaning of Gowon is Go On with One Nigeria. He sent a message to me and he gave me the courage that I can do it correctly and with the fear of God. That’s the reason why that civi war, we fought with a code of conduct…to be truthful. We ensured that we did not call them anything. We tried not to call the other side enemy and we never called them enemies.

God bless the Federral Republic of Nigeria

you almost gave Nigeria to odumegu. you were young and naive. that civil war could have been averted and lives and properties wouldn't have been wasted. BTW what inspired you to mismanage monies gotten from the infamous oil boom

Have Nigeria gone better now. Criminal stealing our oil money.

These old rogue that supposed to be in Hague with Buhari

Gowon ensured that the middle Belt remained enslaved and underdeveloped by his strategic miscalculation in 1966, with acolytes like David Mark and other minions the minority has maintained a stranglehold on this nation and the invisible Caucasian Monarchs a stranglehold on its destiny ever since.