Fifty years of Gowon’s overthrow(7), by Eric Teniola

From last week, this is the concluding narrative of General Yakubu Gowon’s many landmark achievements before his overthrow on July 30, 1975. These included the establishment of many companies with significant Federal Government shareholdings as well as the promulgation of the Indigenisation Decree. Also worthy of mention is the setting up of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. 

The duration of service is one year. General Yakubu Gowon established the Federal Housing Authority which built many housing schemes across the country, including FESTAC in Lagos. With no debt to pay and with full implementation of the First and Second Development Plans piloted by Professor Adebayo Adedeji (December 21, 1930 – April 25, 2018) from Ijebu-Ode and Professor Ojetunji Aboyade (September 9, 1931 -December 31, 1994) from Awe, at full speed, the country was moving forward. Suddenly, the movement stopped. And here we are, 50 years after. This great country deserves the best. No doubt Nigeria was designed for greatness. 

Three newspapers, namely Nigeria Tribune, The New Nigeria and The Daily Times wrote different editorials after the fall of General Yakubu Gowon’s government. 

The Nigerian Tribune in its editorial on August 1, 1975, said: “The tenth reason for the fall of Gowon’s Federal Military Government is that it had over-stayed its welcome. A miliary regime should be a transitional Government and its tenure of office should be short and effective. For, by their very training and temperament, soldiers do not possess qualities of politicians. What Gowon has demonstrated is that it takes much more than money, civil servants and economic plans to govern a country. 

The art of government is purely practical politics. And it is best left for those who have the necessary training, public confidence, temperament, experience, ability and the stomach for it. 

Finally, let it be said, to his credit, that General Gowon was not a ruthless dictator. He tried occasionally to respond to public opinion and resisted the temptation to use his authoritarian powers as brutally as some of his sub-ordinate extremists would have wished. There were times when his inaction saved him and the nation from disasters that could have arisen from rash and precipitate action. But the greatest achievement for which he will be remembered is the creation of twelve states in the Federation. 

It was a courageous act and it has removed for all time the main obstacle to lasting unity”.

The Daily Times wrote on August 2, 1975: “Let it be said in fairness to him that General Gowon is a sincere and well-meaning man; the creation of 12 states; the indigenisation of foreign businesses; and the formation of Economic Community of West African States are all credits to his administration. But power is delightful and absolute power is absolutely delightful.” 

In its own editorial, The New Nigeria wrote: “Foreign commentators who thought that Nigeria was doomed to face a fresh round of violence, and even another civil war, have been proved woefully wrong. The acknowledgement of the change, and the pledge of loyalty to the new government, made in Kampala by the former Head of the Federal Military Government, General Yakubu Gowon, must have sealed their expectations.”

No doubt, that was Nigeria’s golden period but General Gowon’s inability to hand over power was his greatest undoing. The road he took that led to the civil war during which millions died was another stain on his tenure for many still bear today the scars of that civil war, especially in the South-East. General Gowon had survived till today; it is left for history to judge him accordingly. 

At the beginning of the civil war, the popular slogan was: To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. At the end of the war, it became: Go On With One Nigeria (GOWON). I think General Gowon’s lasting legacy is that he kept this great country one for nine years.

On December 16 last year, President Bola Tinubu renamed the University of Abuja after General Yakubu Gowon. That is a fitting tribute.

•Teniola, a former director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.

The post Fifty years of Gowon’s overthrow(7), by Eric Teniola appeared first on Vanguard News.