Without being immodest, very few living journalists and commentators can claim to be more critical of General Yakubu Gowon’s 9-year military rule than the author of ‘The Lunatic,’ a collection of hard punching satirical abasaheedic articles which lampooned the regime of the Cathecist’s son.
But thirty two years after Gowon was thrown off the back of the horse in a most invidious palace coup by men who, even at the material time were known to have amassed more wealth than a serving head of state, it has become very apparent that the main undisclosed reason for seizing power then was to serve self and create a long winding personality cult. And this cult was intended to assuage an equally long-suffering inferiority complex as complex as the chemical properties of psychosis.
In the last thirty-two years, Nigeria has had the singular misfortune of being ruled by a succession of men who without a doubt made Gowon’s regime the golden era. And among these rulers, some of whom did not even qualify to be called leaders [with the exception of Ibrahim Babangida who built the 3rd Mainland Bridge and the bulk of Abuja, and institutionalised his policy initiatives like MAMSER, DFRRI, Peoples Bank, Community Banks, 2-party Structure and Option A4 etc] are those who are hell-bent on re-writing the history of Nigeria.
It is in order to put the records straight that it has become necessary and timely to revisit the Gowonic era, and give to that regime the true verdict of history as the regime that truly laid the foundation of modern Nigeria.
Gowon’s regime was the government that took the feeding bottle off the dripping mouth of the federal government that immediately succeeded the British colonial masters.
It could be argued that General Aguiyi Ironsi was the immediate successor of the apprentice government of Tafawa Balewa, the truth of course was that Ironsi had hardly found his stool before the rug was pulled off his feet.
What did Gowon do and what was it in his character and in his handling of the affairs of state that now, in perspective, qualified him to the exalted seat of the Architect and Father of Modern Nigeria?
General Yakubu Gowon did two great things that immediately catapulted him from being a young soldier to the exalted position of a statesman. He went the culture lane. He realised even at that tender age, the Yoruba cherished value of ‘not rubbishing the exalted’ ‘Ma fii oju ola gbo’le.’ This is a culture very dear to virtually all Africans. ‘You do not trample on those God has exalted’. So, Gowon pulled the great Obafemi Awolowo, the symbol of Yoruba civilization and pride, out of prison and out of unmitigated indignity.
Thereafter, as a second cultural imperative, Gowon courted the unpurchaseable wisdom of the elders. He went for Aminu Kano, Okoi Arikpo, Anthony Enahoro, Shehu Shagari, Shetima Alli Monguno and several other distinguished elders in the country and asked them to help him in the art of governance. He did not claim to know it all. And to boot, he made Obafemi Awolowo his Vice, thus conferring on Awolowo the position of ‘Prime Minister’ while he, Gowon, remained the Head of state and Military Chief Executive.
Having laid a strong foundation at the centre, he ensured that his military colleagues, as regional executives, were given trust and respect. And when political expedience necessitated the creation of twelve states, he assigned responsible officers to man them, and he gave them a free hand to govern their states. He never for once bullied them or terrorised them, and they in turn trusted and truly respected their Commander-In-Chief. They did NOT fear him. He earned their respect and they loyally served him and the nation.
It is instructive that Gowon appreciated the indisputable value of continuity in administration, and for as long as he ruled; he encouraged STABILITY in the states. Almost all of his Governors remained at their duty post for eight years!
Unfortunately, a ferocious war, which could have been avoided, broke out, but statesman Gowon preferred ordinary police action until the overriding necessity to keep the nation as one forced him into a full scale civil war. But with management wizardry of Awolowo and the collective wisdom of the elders in his cabinet, Gowon executed a 30-month war without BORROWING a KOBO!
And as the architect of modern Nigeria and a father to the nation, and as Commander-In-Chief who commanded a military operation and won the war for the federal government, he pursued the more difficult war of winning the peace. Again, he succeeded with his now famous ‘No Victor, No Vanquished’ dictum. And he proceeded with the 3Rs: Reconstruction Rehabilitation and Reconciliation, which received kudos from the international community.
Having put the war behind him, Gowon embarked on a serious foundation laying agenda with unprecedented attention to infrastructure. So huge were his plans, and so humongous were his achievements that looking back now, it was like building a country from scratch. A gigantic road network was begun. The second mainland bridge, the Lagos Sagamu Ore Benin Road, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, several overhead bridges, and several dualisations, too many to enumerate, were all Gowon’s legacies to this country in recognition of the role of transportation in economic development.
The huge Federal Secretariat Ikoyi, The Muritala Mohammed Airport, Port Harcourt Airport, Aminu Kano Airport, National Stadium Surulere, the National Theatre, Iganmu, International Trade Fair Complex, Tafawa Balewa Square Complex, Federal Palace Hotel Annex, are some of Gowon’s landmark achievements. Ultra modern 1004 flats in Victoria Island, several housing estates including Festac, the Eric Moore flats, and the Victoria island flats, were all his creations, all in the bid so solve acute accommodation problem in the country.
Gowon’s government also built industrial estates in collaboration with state governments, which, under selfless leaders like Rotimi and Johnson, established industries all over the country. It is to the eternal glory of Gowon that we had the Ajaokuta Steels Complex.
We should note that Gowon never sold any national asset nor did he encourage fraudulent capture of national assets by cronies and fronts. He did not put the Petroleum Ministry in his pocket.
General Gowon also created institutions to advance his commitment to the zeal to keep Nigeria united. He created the National Youth Service corps, which till today stands as a great monument of creativity and social engineering in governance.
But what made Gowon most outstanding was his humility and transparency. Not given to volcanic temper, pomposity or megalomania, or to an overblown ego, Yakubu Gowon was in both his private and public life a role model imbued with the milk of human kindness. A true Christian in faith and practice, he is forever loyal, faithful and dependable to his friends. And as to his character and moral force, it is remarkable that all the women who served in his administration did not require to be policed by their husbands or loved ones for fear of intimidating violation of their marital vows. Not once was there any scandal associated with or traced to his person or his known associates. Greed, insatiable satanic greed, was not his middle name!
General Yakubu Gowon as head of state was respected and trusted by the international community and Nigerians were treated with utmost respect everywhere they went in the world. If any leader deserves to be addressed as Architect of modern Nigeria or some one who behaved as a father to this country, it surely is Yakubu Gowon, an officer and a gentleman to the core.
Dr Yakubu Gowon today lives in a house in Jos bought for him through donations from well-wishers. He did not grab wealth as Head of state, and he led by example without hollow sloganeering, clinical cunning, pathological deceit and hypocrisy.
General Yakubu Gowon, a PhD holder, is indeed, as of today, the father of modern Nigeria as opposed to Nest-feathered fathers of MURDERED Nigeria!
TOLA ADENIYI is the President/CEO, Canada University Press, Concord, Ontario, Canada. akogunijebu@canada.com
