Gowon: Please Stop Distorting Facts.

This is in response to statements made by Rtd Gen. Gowon, during a posthumous awards on the tripod of Nigeria ’s independence and First Republic leaders, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe. According to Tribune online publication (http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/40512-awo-others-bag-posthumous-awards-ojukwu-would-have-ruled-nigeria-gowon-says-islamisation-plan-of-boko-haram-not-northern-agenda),“Former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), said Igbo leader and Biafran warlord, the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu would have succeeded in ruling the country if he had not been checkmated when he declared the Republic of Biafra and consequently sparked the civil war in 1967. The former head of state, who came to power in the nation’s second military putsch on July 29, 1966 and ruled till July 29, 1975 when his regime was toppled in another coup that led to the installation of the late General Murtala Muhammed, spoke against the background of a documentary on the fratricidal war shown at the ceremony. Reliving some of the events of the civil war fought between July 6, 1967 and January 12, 1970, Gowon described it as a needless war and one never to be wished for again, adding that the war would not have arisen if Odumegwu-Ojukwu had not dismembered the eastern part from the rest of the country. If there was no secession by the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, there would not have been war. We tried all we could not to go to war. At the Aburi meeting (held in Ghana in January to forestall the imminent war), all that was demanded by Ojukwu, including my position, were granted. But his secession bid led to the war. If Ojukwu had succeeded, he would have been Nigerian and not Biafran leader. Nigerians and indeed the children who suffered during the war should forgive us”. Since the death of our great leader (Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu), Rtd Gen Gowon, has made 2 conflicting statements. In all, he tried to twist facts about the civil war, all in attempt to portray Dim Ojukwu as the aggressor. This is the continuation of his deceit, lies and twisting of facts. The author will dwell on his (Gowon) recent statements as quoted above. Firstly, Its beyond the authors imagination why Rtd Gowon has chosen to be making conflicting statements about the events that happened, before and during the war, only when Dim Ojukwu had died. The question for him to answer is, why he didn’t say these statements when Dim Ojukwu was alive, being that both were the 2 principal actors. Glad that the records can’t be changed. The fact speaks for itself (Res ipsa loquitor). “Former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), said Igbo leader and Biafran warlord, the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu would have succeeded in ruling the country if he had not been checkmated when he declared the Republic of Biafra and consequently sparked the civil war in 1967”. Gowon should have been kind enough to tell his audience the true reasons behind the war. One wonders why the Ex Head of State should be leading/conducting Pray Nigeria or Praying Nigeria (a kind of praying ministry for Nigeria), when he cannot put facts straight. “If there was no secession by the late General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, there would not have been war. We tried all we could not to go to war. At the Aburi meeting (held in Ghana in January to forestall the imminent war), all that was demanded by Ojukwu, including my position, were granted”. The author having gone thru the Aburi meeting records, could not see were Dim Ojukwu asked for Gowon’s position, so why would Rtd Gowon say such things? Besides, who jettisoned the Aburi Accord? Gowon or Ojukwu? Nigerians cannot be deceived. Be it known to all Nigerians, that part of our problems today were the none implementation of Aburi Accord by Rtd Gowon. Personally, Rtd Gowon should publicly accept responsibilities for the civil war. “But his secession bid led to the war. If Ojukwu had succeeded, he would have been Nigerian and not Biafran leader. Nigerians and indeed the children who suffered during the war should forgive us”. Again for the records, the war was imposed on the Igbo. Biafra was the only beckon of hope, for all fleeing Igbos then. If Gowon was concerned, why didn’t he stop the pogrom in the North then, why did he impose food blockade during the war, even after the war, what did he do about the abandoned properties, what about policy/punishment of giving every Igbo person only twenty pounds, even if the person(s) had millions in their bank accounts. Someone should tell Rtd Gowon to kindly stop twisting facts, in other not to open the wounds of the civil war. C.V.Akuta UK