A former governorship candidate of Justice Must Prevail Party, JMPP, in Abia State, Charles Okechukwu Okereke has advised former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon to immediately apologize to the Igbo nation and Nigerians in general for his recent statement at the Aso Rock Villa.
The apology, he said, would calm the minds of the people who, according to Okereke, felt offended by the statement attributed to Gowon.
The former Head of State was recently quoted as saying that “I know and if I can remember, when I was fighting the war, I was told I was too slow and probably Nigeria cannot make it and that we should seek discussion. Well, did we do it or not?”
But speaking to DAILY POST in Umuahia on Wednesday, the former governorship candidate advised Gen. Gowon, as an elder statement, to refrain from making statements that may make Ndigbo and other Nigerians to start remembering the ugly war episodes of the past.
Okereke, who said that Nigerians were going through terrible economic hardship, disclosed that uncomplimentary words from a highly placed citizen like Gowon could cause more outrage.
He said that it was wrong for Gowon to compare his military administration with President Bola Tinubu, as according to Okereke, Gowon’s decision to create a 12-state structure instead of implementing an agreement he signed with Odumegwu Ojukwu before the civil war, was responsible for the crises the nation was still facing today.
“Why is he comparing himself with Tinubu? He is supposed to retire. He should not remind us of what has been forgotten. He owes Ndigbo and Nigerians an apology and he should do that now.
“There is no comparison between Gowon’s military junta and Tinubu’s civilian administration. His 3Rs is not true. When he visited us at Government College after the war, he spoke from an armored car; is Tinubu speaking from an armored car? So why the comparison?” He queried.
Okereke, who said that the ongoing moves to amend the Nigerian constitution were a pointer that many things were wrong with the Nigeria General Gowon bequeathed to his predecessors in office, said that it was wrong for Gowon to say that Nigerians who were hungry, do not really understand the problem underground.
The “All Hail Biafra” anthem composer made it clear that the military administration of Gen. Gowon failed to reconcile Nigerians and was not qualified to advise a civilian administration.
In the same vein, the director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has described the comment of former Military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, regarding the Biafra war as disgraceful.
Amadi said the Biafra war prosecuted by Gown was needless and showed lack of wisdom.
Posting on X, the sociopolitical analyst accused Gowon of seeing the civil war as an achievement.
He wrote: “What’s bad about Gowon’s comment is that he thinks prosecuting a civil war an achievement. It is actually a monumental failure that a nation went to war under his watch. To be proud of that failure is disgraceful.
“The war was needless, infantile and evidence of lack of wisdom.”
Gowon, who ruled Nigeria between 1966 and 1975, had recalled how they said he could not prosecute the civil war because he was slow.
Addressing journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Gowon said, “If I can remember, when I was fighting the war I was told I was too slow and that probably Nigeria cannot make it and that we should now seek for discussion. Well, did we do it or not? They probably do not know the problem underground so that is where we are.”
A human rights lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, on the same page of criticism has challenged former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, retired, to show evidence of any Federal Government project his government established in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria after the Biafra civil war many years ago.
Omirhobo said this in a post via his X account on Sunday, according to DAILY POST.
He was reacting to Gowon’s latest comment on the Biafran civil war.
“I am happy General Gowon is alive when I am making my assertions.
I challenge Gowon to show evidence of Federal Government repair, rehabilitation or replacement of any of the Hospitals, Markets, Schools, Buildings or Roads destroyed by the intentional bombing by the Nigeria Air Force and their Arab mercenaries after the Nigerian /Biafran war,” Omirhobo said.
“I challenge him to show any Federal Government project that his government established in the Eastern part of Nigeria after the war
I challenge Gowon to show the palliative or financial support that his government gave to the Easterners after the war.
“I need proof of his government’s effort for the Eastern children to catch up with the educational system after missing out for over three years.
I challenge him to show how many Easterners who lost their jobs because of the war were reabsorbed after the war.
“Take It from me, the war ended with Nigeria being the Victor and the Easterners the Vanquished. The (3 Rs) Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation policy of Gowon’s government was by mouth not deed.”
Recall that the former head of state after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, disclosed to journalists how he was accused of being unable to prosecute the Biafra civil war.
Gowon, who ruled Nigeria between 1966 and 1975, had said, “If I can remember, when I was fighting the war I was told I was too slow and that probably Nigeria cannot make it and that we should now seek for discussion. Well, did we do it or not? They probably do not know the problem underground so that is where we are.”
