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HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENERAL (DR) YAKUBU GOWON; GCFR. “The Best Nigeria ever had
Shakespeare was quoted to have said the following which in nutshell speaks directly of the person of General Yakubu Gowon.
Some are born great, for which He was; Some achieve greatness for which He did; Some have greatness thrust upon them, and so He was. These are the great attributes of the person General Yakubu Gowon, this Nation celebrated his 90th Birthday last Saturday, the 19th of October 2024.
My personal impressions and knowledge of General Yakubu Gowon came from my father who once described him Humble, Caring and Responsible. This however strengthened my belief in his sincerity and his dedication to purposeful leadership.
My first personal encounter with the General was at the Presentation of Colours ceremony at the Nigeria Defence Academy in 1968 where I accompanied my late father. At the end of the ceremony, the General went about greeting those eminent personalities. His humility was striking. This was a clear emphasis of his person’s positive moral and ethical qualities, as outgoing, friendly personality.
GENERAL IN UNIFORM
General’s military smartness felt like the teenage adulation. How smart appearance in uniform had become the enthusiasm of our youth, translating to a grand desire of wearing military uniform at that moment, in spite of the military engagement with ongoing raging war.
NIGERIA’S CIVIL WAR: 1967-1970
As the civil war was raging in Nigeria, the General never hide his displeasure of seeing how Nigerians were at each other’s throat due to insatiable ego, pride and ambition. The declaration of “No Victor, No Vanquish” at the end of the Civil War in 1970 was a mark of his qualitative and caring leadership. No Nigerian should feel ostracised or left behind in the quest for a better and healthier nation.
A quote from “Path of Destiny” memoir of late Usman Farouk, Jarman Gombe offers an insight at page 336 recalling the feelings of General Gowon in Kampala after his ouster as his greatest bitterness was not being allowed to return to Nigeria, the country of his birth, the country whose Unity he fought to ensure. He (Gen Gowon) expressed in utter dismay the preference to return to Nigeria and be detained rather than staying away in any other country”.
ACTS OF PATRIOTISM AND MATURITY.
His Kampala declaration after the coup that ousted his government was an act of patriotism and maturity. He recognised the new leadership in Nigeria and pledged his loyalty to it. His sober reflection on power games was apparently reinforced by the Shakespearian quotation that the world is a stage when various actors perform on stage and when their time was up, they were replaced with others. He ended by saying, he was available for any assignment the new Nigerian govt might consider fit for him. This was his stance even at Aburi where he was quoted to have said “For God’s sake, don’t lose hope. If we are alive and if we are determined to, we can get this country (Nigeria) to its proper shape. I am determined to do that even if it means my life. I give you my word for it”.
NYSC Scheme
The 1973 Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) convocation ceremony was the venue he announced his government intention to kick start the National Youth Service Corps Scheme for all young Nigerian University graduates. It was a way to start to reconciliation by consolidating the Unity amongst the young Nigerians.
Often said, strong leadership is something almost everyone has an opinion on. How do we assess whether his policies as a leader are successful or otherwise? How widely his known policies at the end of war are impacting Nigerians, especially in the areas of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction and which aren’t?
I would want to assess our General’s personal fortitude from amongst the following criteria, namely;
Clarity of care and Vision. In his circumstances, this is perhaps the most obvious. It was in his time that Nigeria was able to champion the formation of ECOWAS. This must have been informed by the cooperation and understanding of other West African statesman who saw the sincerity in his vision. He had a vision for stronger African unity as a Foreign Affairs Minister in 1967. He promoted and protected Nigeria’s foreign policy by positioning African continent at its core with Southern Africa as the epic center in the struggle against apartheid and minority European injustice in Zimbabwe.
It was during his rule that the 1 and 2 National development plan outlined for Vehicle Assembly plants and many other industries sited across the country was perfected. He promulgated a number of decrees for Nigerians effective participation in manufacturing and ownership of industries. The FESTAC 77 was conceived to promote the cultural heritage of black African race at his time as the HOS. There were numerous developmental projects conceived and executed before his ouster in 1975. The list was endless.
In collaboration with the Evonomic Commission for Africa under the leadership of Professor Adebayo Adedeji, one time Minister of Economic Planning and Development, General Gowon received the required and desired international support and funding for Nigeria’s development stride.
Confidence: The situation he found himself as the Head of State was dire and in the face of adversity, he remained calm and inspiring to Nigerians to remain faithful and focussed.
He trusted his cabinet colleagues and State Administrators,
remained open and honest, listening to their problems without being judgemental. He was reputed of delegating to his team members wherever possible and empower them to take on tasks or projects that will help them step outside of their comfort zones and grow as patriotic citizens. This demonstrate how much he believe in them, earning him a label of being a weak leader
Late Aminu Kano was reported to have commended General Gowon for not taking sides even when he risked of being accused by his cabinet colleagues of corruption. General Gowon loyalty to team work was unparalleled in the annals of military rule in Nigeria.
Trustworthiness: He was genuine in his desire to build trust. He proved to be an authentic leader worthy of our leadership position. Listen to late Police Commissioner Usman Farouk, Jarman Gombe, Military Governor of the then North West State, presently made up of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger States respectively. In his book from “Farm House to State House”, he provided an insight into the General’s nature and habits as he was developing into manhood. He said and I quote, “I was good and versatile sportsman in both field and tracks activities, that the College (Barewa) decided to make me Vice Captain to Yakubu Gowon, a position reserved for top form students since the job entailed training and leading College Team for outside competition where discipline and control of team was important. Yakubu Gowon held responsibilities of the College Captain for two consecutive years. In football, Gowon was the College Captain and celebrated College keeper. My relationship with General Gowon broke all bounds and could only be surpassed by blood relationship. General Gowon, he described as “my beloved brother in the triple heritage of Youth, Manhood and elder statesmanship in the corridor of power of Nigeria nation.”
It is obvious that General Gowon is approachable, know how to put others at ease and create environments where team members feel comfortable expressing their opinions and discussing personal issues. Testimonies of personalities close to General and his families like Hajiya Jummai Musa Usman are indeed eulogies worth mentioning Indeed, to write on the life and achievements of General Yakubu Gowon is encyclopaedic of service, integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience. His
leadership has been exemplary, where he guided his team with a steady hand, making tough decisions while keeping everyone motivated and focused on the goal. His vision and ability to bring people together have been instrumental to the success of his policies.
CONCLUSION.
I cannot end this short narrative without a quote from the author of a book titled “GOWON” by J Isawa Elaigwu. In the preface, General Gowon was quoted to have said” I do not want you to write a book defending my actions while in office. I would like you to tell the truth as you see it, no matter how bitter it is. Someday I shall write my memoirs and some details will be disclosed”. We are waiting for the memoir General.
May Allah SWT in his infinite mercy continue to keep you healthy and wealthy with full blessings to you and your household, amen.
23/10/2024
Malam M K Ilyasu a retired foreign affairs officer writes from Kaduna Nigeria
