Gowon Charges Igbos Not To Lose Hope On Presidency

Former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon on Wednesday charged the Igbo nation not to lose hope of attaining the presidency of the country.

Gowon gave the charge in a lecture entitled “No Victor, No Vanquished: Healing the Nigerian Nation” delivered at the 6th Convocation ceremony of Chukwumeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam in Anambra.

Gowon, who said he was in support of the idea of rotational presidency, maintained that an Igbo president would help heal the wounds from the Civil War.
He explained that the civil war was not out of hatred for Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu or the Igbos but was based on the principle of a commitment of a robust Nigeria.

“It is wrong to conclude that the civil war broke out following the failure of the Aburi Accord but was the direct result of unilateral decision of the independence for Eastern Nigeria.
“If there was no succession, there would have been no war.
“It was a reluctant war waged to unite the country,” Gowon explained.

He acknowledged that many people died of hunger and diseases during the period but maintained that the Federal Government ensured that starvation was not used as a weapon of war.
Gowon said that Nigerians should be proud of the gains of the war through the healing balm of “no victor, no vanquish.”

According to him, the three Rs of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction were adopted to enhance national unity.
He also argued that the abandoning of the plan of development drafted immediately after the war by successive governments had resulted in the infrastructural decay in the country.

The former head of state however lauded late Ojukwu for his courage in defending his people during the war, saying “if Ojukwu was in my shoes, he would have equally waged the war.”
He also commended the state government and management of the University for honouring Ojukwu with the change in name of the institution from Anambra State University to COOU.

Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, who lauded Gowon for honouring the invitation, said education was dear to his administration.
 Represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, Obiano disclosed that a blue print for development of higher education would soon be implemented in the state.
“Infrastructure, students’ welfare as well as teachers and lecturers’ welfare are important tools for developing the education sector of the state.
“This administration has increased the salaries of teachers in rural areas by 20 per cent and has approved extra N3, 000 for teachers who teach core subjects.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, said that the lecture was chosen to honour Ojukwu and give opportunity to Gowon to clear the air on the civil war.
www.ghozienews.blogspot.com reports that the University will on March 26 hold its convocation proper at the Igbariam campus.