Yakubu Gowon (born October 19, 1934, Pankshin, Nigeria) is a Nigerian military leader who served as head of state (1966–75).
Gowon was born in what is now Plateau state, in the middle belt of Nigeria; his father was an early convert to Christianity. Gowon was educated in Zaria (now in Kaduna state) and later became a career army officer. He was trained in Ghana and in England at Sandhurst and twice served in the Congo region as part of Nigeria’s peacekeeping force there in the early 1960s. In Nigeria, after the coup of January 1966, he was appointed chief of staff to Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, the country’s new leader. Northern officers staged a countercoup in July 1966, and Gowon emerged as the compromise head of the new government.
Gowon tried to resolve the ethnic tensions that threatened to fatally divide Nigeria. Although he was eventually successful in ending attacks against Igbo in the north, he was unable to effect a more lasting peace. In a final attempt to resolve the conflict, on May 27, 1967, Gowon declared a state of emergency and divided Nigeria’s four regions into 12 states. Three days later the Eastern region declared itself the independent state of Biafra, with Odumegwu Ojukwu as its leader, and armed conflict between Biafra and the Nigerian government began in July.
Gowon directed government forces to remember that they were essentially fighting Nigerians, who were to be encouraged to rejoin the country. He also allowed a team of international observers to monitor the conduct of his troops. After the government victory in January 1970, a remarkable reconciliation took place between victors and vanquished, largely attributable to Gowon’s personal influence. By the mid-1970s Gowon was emerging as an international leader and was involved in the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). On July 29, 1975, however, while Gowon was in Uganda for an Organization of African Unity summit meeting, the army removed him from office.
Gowon was exiled to Great Britain. In addition, he was stripped of his rank for allegedly participating in the assassination of his successor, Brig. Gen. Murtala Mohammed, in 1976. However, he was pardoned by Pres. Shehu Shagari in 1981, and his rank was restored by Pres. Ibrahim Babangida in 1987. Having earned a Ph.D. at Warwick University in 1983, Gowon had become a professor of political science at the University of Jos in the mid-1980s and attained the status of an elder statesman in Nigerian politics.
PRESIDENT TINUBU CELEBRATES GENERAL GOWON ON HIS NONAGINTENNIAL YEAR ANNIVERSARY
TRIBUTE TO GENERAL GOWON AT 90
On his 90th birthday (October 19), I pay special tribute to our elder statesman and former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon.
General Gowon is a gentleman extraordinaire, one of the longest-serving Nigerian leaders.
He did a lot for our country and served meritoriously in various capacities within and outside the military.
As a brilliant officer trained at Sandhurst and reluctantly became Nigeria's leader at 32, his life story has inspired many Nigerians.
As the nation's head of state, he significantly contributed to nation-building and development and can be rightly called the father of national infrastructure.
It is on record that after the country's civil war, his philosophy of "No victor, no vanquished" helped promote national healing, peace, and reconciliation.
His most incredible legacy was the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, founded in 1975.
Since I became President, General Gowon has been my counsellor, offering advice when needed.
He was there for us when we had a misunderstanding with some of our Sahelian states, calling for moderation from all sides for the sake of ECOWAS unity.
General Gowon's life outside the office is also remarkable. After stewardship of the country, he acquired more knowledge, demonstrating that age and status are never barriers to seeking to be the best we can be.
General Gowon has continued to deploy his"Nigeria Prays' Programme in prayer and intercession for the country while also suing for religious tolerance, peace, harmony and stability in the land.
This is a further testament to his belief in the unity and togetherness of Nigeria.
We thank General Gowon for his leadership and his labour of service to Nigeria.
His sterling example remains a beacon of hope and inspiration for us in government, encouraging us to do our best for our beloved country.
We will continue to cherish his wisdom and wise counselling.
I pray that God Almighty will imbue General Gowon with more wisdom and grant him good health and more years to continue to be useful to Nigeria and humanity.
adioolayi: See, if we start to discuss this issue, we will not shift our position..
The thing is, no one with a property along river bank corridor, doesn't know they are not to build there...I know we will argue about Government removing their eyes from don't build enforcement..and their officers have taken bribe.
This is true..
But, whose lives and properties are at risk when all is said and done...the Government or the people
So, you should rather use your sense and stop the emotional blackmail.....Citizens should start doing the very right thing and not gets what is not through illegal processes.
That's my point !
Besides, there is actually a relief camp (or relief camps) if it becomes a big emergency. It's been used for that purpose before. It's actually in the first few posts on this thread (that's why I don't take some of these people seriously).
naptu2: By the way, the Lagos State Relief Camp is at Igando. That's where victims of the 2010 Ikorodu Flood were moved to. The camp has also been used to temporarily house victims of the Ojo Gas Explosion and victims of the Lagos Island Building Collapse.
I think other camps have since been built in other parts of the state.
Click on my username above to see pictures of the camp.
Some people came to this thread with the sole purpose of making very weird comments for specific purposes (one even said that the government deliberately released water to plague people, can you imagine that?).
Some came to post what they had already planned to post, without even reading the article and knowing what the thread is about.
Others came to pretend.
2 can play that game.
But now to serious issues.
Dams are built to restrict the flow of water in other to trap some water for irrigation, for human and animal consumption and in order to harness the power of the water for electricity consumption.
However, there are occasions when, by an act of nature, a huge volume of water flows down the river. The dam would not be able to resist that pressure and therefore, dams are built to have floodgates and slipways to relieve the pressure. Excess water is released from the dam in order to prevent it from collapsing.
This happens in dams all over the world.
That's the case here. The water is too much and the excess is being released from the dam.
The government has taken various measures to reduce the impact, for example, the river has been dredged, drainages have been unclogged and the water is being released bit by bit, to reduce the impact on people downstream.
However, the government is advising people living downstream to relocate to higher ground.
Now that the serious explanation is over, those that want to entertain me by posting senseless comments can continue. I expect to have a lot of fun.
The allignment of the Lagos-Calabar Highway will also contain the Lagos-Calabar Railway.
However, the railway will stop at the Jakande area of Lekki (without reaching Victoria Island) because the area from Jakande to Victoria Island is heavily built up and they had to use a narrower right of way in order to prevent excessive demolition of buildings.
Ikaeniyan0: Base on your pictures you shared, I think the Osun river and Lagos lagoon should be "really" dredge
Yes, that's what the commissioner said. The River Basin Authority has dredged the river to reduce the impact, but he also said that the problem is not caused only by that river, there are 52 rivers that flow into the river system.
The Lagos State Government has also been clearing drainage channels and removing structures that were built on them in order to reduce the impact.
Finally, the River Basin Authority will not release all the water at once, rather they will do it bit by bit.
tpain121: Nigerian government…. Always releasing disaster to pepper the people they are ruling since the inception of APC. Since rain no Dey to cause flood, e Dey pepper them.
Demon enter their mind give them idea to cause artificial flooding .
naptu2: By the way, the Lagos State Relief Camp is at Igando. That's where victims of the 2010 Ikorodu Flood were moved to. The camp has also been used to temporarily house victims of the Ojo Gas Explosion and victims of the Lagos Island Building Collapse.
I think other camps have since been built in other parts of the state.
Click on my username above to see pictures of the camp.
naptu2: The Oyan River Dam is in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State. The dam crosses the Oyan River, a tributary of the Ogun River. It is used primarily to supply raw water to Lagos and Abeokuta, but has potential for use in irrigation and power generation.
Heavy rainfall in Ogun State in 2010 forced authorities of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to open the flood gates and release water from the dam in order to reduce pressure. This led to flooding in Ikorodu and other parts of northern Lagos (even though it had not rained in that part of Lagos). The Lagos State Government had to relocate residents of the area to a relief camp.
Lagos State was ruled by the ACN, while Ogun State was ruled by the PDP at that time and this led to a bit of friction between both governments. However, an agreement was eventually reached between the Lagos State Government, the Ogun State Government and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to create a committee to manage release of water from the dam. This committee ensures that the Lagos State Government is informed before water is released from the dam. The committee has announced that it will release water from the dam in September and October.
naptu2: The Ogun River flows into the Lagos Lagoon from the north. The Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority has announced that it will soon open the floodgates of the Oyan Dam and this could lead to floods along the course of the river.
In 2010 that bridge on Ikorodu Road that goes over the Ogun River was significantly damaged by the flood and people in Ikorodu couldn't get into Lagos. The Government built a temporary bridge before the main bridge was repaired.
Click on my username above to see maps of the river.
During a Press Briefing at the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources earlier today, @followlasg has alerted residents and property owners at the Ogun River Banks to be ready to relocate to higher grounds as the authorities of Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authorities commences staggered release of water from Oyan Dam.
Lagosians needed to be alerted on the commencement of release of water to maintain the sanctity of the dam and it's socio-economic implications for Lagos State.
It is crucial to understand that the dam’s annual operations are informed by real-time hydrological data, rainfall predictions from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and flood outlooks from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). These sources guide the water release decisions to ensure both flood control and the integrity of the dam.
The State Government and the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) acknowledge the concerns raised regarding the release of water from the Dam and it's impact on surrounding communities, particularly those along the Ogun River water channels extending into Lagos State.
A detailed operational report by OORBDA states that the total water released from the dam this year, as of 12th October 2024, stands at 1,484.2 million cubic meters (mcm), which remains below the average synthesized annual flow volume of 1,770 mcm. Although rainfalls across the Oyan River catchment area have been significant, with a cumulative 984.1 mm recorded this year, saying it remains lower than last year’s 1,540.8 mm and is within safe operational levels.
62.1% of the dam's flood control capacity remains intact with the Dam not under any imminent threat of releasing excess water beyond safe limits saying this has been made possible through the collaboration of the State with OORBDA.
The State Government fully recognizes the challenge faced by residents in affected communities which include Kara, Mile 12, Agiliti, Ikosi Ketu, Owode, Ajegunle, and Odo-Ogun as reported. However, I want to emphasize that while the flooding experienced in these areas has often been attributed solely to water released from the Oyan Dam, this is not entirely the case; In reality, the downstream section of the Ogun River is influenced by a complex network of over 52 tributaries, all of which converge and contribute to rising water levels in the affected areas. These tributaries, combined with rain-induced runoff, significantly exacerbate the flood situation adding that this is a critical point to consider when addressing flood management strategies for this region.
In an effort to reduce the flood risks and ensure the free flow of water within the Ogun River system, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) recently flagged off the dredging of the Ogun River downstream from the Ikorodu to Isheri axis (Ajelogo, Owode-Elede, Ajegunle, and under deck-on-pile of Itowolo Bridge) for the water released on Friday, 13th September 2024.
Some right-of-ways along the catchment areas were protected and restored, and the dredging project was a proactive measure to deepen the river channel and increase its capacity to convey water, thereby reducing the likelihood of flooding during periods of high inflow.
The State Government would continue to monitor the situation closely and collaborate with relevant Agencies and affected communities, to address humanitarian concerns, particularly for vulnerable groups like women, children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities.
I wish to appeal once again to our people to support our efforts by complementing the State Government through regular clearing of drains in their frontages to ensure free-flow of storm water as well as to desist from dumping of refuse into drainage channels and roads.
Tokunbo Wahab, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Lagos State
#CleanerLagos #ZeroToleranceLagos
Photo 1: Oyan Dam
Photo 2: Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources.
Meanwhile, they're not remembering Ikorodu asix at all. Those side Imota, ijede, abule also need to connect to Lagos
Funny enough, I was going to make a post about this.
1) Why not extend the Green Line to Epe?
2) Why not extend the Blue Line to Badagry?
3) Why not extend the Brown Line to Ikorodu?
4) Why not extend the Abuja Metro to Nyanya and Mararaba?
It is very expensive to build rail systems. They have to start from somewhere and then extend it over time. All these extensions will certainly eventually be done, but it is small by small. Everything cannot be done at once.
Anyway, I wrote that those were the original plans during the Tinubu era. I also wrote that the plans have been modified.
The Sanwo-Olu Administration has modified the Brown Line into an Orange Line.
ORANGE LINE: This 48km line is designed to run through Ikeja, Alausa, Magodo, Mile 12, Irawo, Itolowo, MajidunAwori, Majidun Ogolonto, Agric Ikorodu, Alapadi, Maya, Eligana, Isiwu, Ibere, Imota and Agbowa in Ikorodu.
But it will take time and money before it is built.
Politics › Re: Today Is General Yakubu Gowon's 90th Birthday. by naptu2(op): 12:06am On Oct 19, 2024*. Modified: 6:34am On Oct 19, 2024
