Skip to main content

I Was Frightened When I Became Head Of State At 31 —Gowon

A former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), has said that he was scared when he became the nation’s military leader on August 1, 1966 at the relatively young age of 31.

The retired military general became the third Nigerian Head of State and the youngest ever in August 1966. 

At the time, he served the longest tenure in Nigerian history as military head of state between 1966–1975. 


On July 29, 1975, while Gowon was attending an Organisation of African Union summit in Kampala, Uganda, a group of military officers led by Colonel Joe Nanven Garba announced his overthrow.

The coup plotters appointed Brigadier Murtala Muhammad as new Head of State, with Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo named as his deputy.

Speaking on Friday at Nigeria’s first virtual reality history competition organised by ANISZA Foundation and Gallery to commemorate its second annual anniversary, Gowon said he never planned to become Head of State.

The programme was part of activities marking the nation’s 60th independence anniversary.

At the virtual event, which was moderated by Founder and Curator of ANISZA Foundation and Gallery, Novo Isioro, Gowon added that his ambition then was just to be be a good soldier.

“The former Head of State spent time with hundreds of Nigerian youth who participated in the virtual event which was also the debut of the ‘Heart of the Matter with Novo Isioro,’ an online talk show where the host will raise issues of peace and unity among Nigerians and globally.

“The octogenarian who relived some of his life experiences and counselled young Nigerians on the right attitudes and values further engaged the participants at the virtual event on national issues, especially the role youths can play in national development.

“Among the participants were also select school children who are members of the ANISZA School Club, some of whom sat around Isioro during the conversation with the former Head of State.

“General Gowon also interacted with the participants on issues ranging from their identities, views on ‘one Nigeria’ and their personal commitments to ensure the nation remains united.

“The Plateau State-hailed general also reiterated his faith in the Nigerian youth and the country’s potential for greatness, noting that ‘we can be able to live in peace and unity irrespective of religion and tribe.

“With a lot of wits and humour, he also admonished young people, traditional and religious institutions to take up the responsibility of securing the national identity, saying everyone has major roles to play in harnessing national values that will spur growth and development across all sectors of the Nigerian life,” a statement by Isioro read.

Politics

News

AddThis

: 

Original Author

: 

SaharaReporters, New York

Disable advertisements

: 

from 24HRSNEWS
via 24HRSNEWS



from EDUPEDIA247https://ift.tt/34orp5M
via EDUPEDIA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The beautiful model Christina Evangeline: age, ethnicity, net worth, husband, baby

The art of modelling is more than merely putting on designer clothes and hitting the runway. It requires a lot of effort, self-care, determination, and an energetic spirit. Christina Evangeline, who is very attractive and beautiful, is a model who dedicated all her energy into this esteemed career. Fame and plenty of public attention came with her job, and she continues to show young women that success does not come overnight. It requires hard work and passion! Image: instagram.com, @yoevangeline Source: Instagram Who is Christina Evangeline ? According to the Christina Evangeline biography, she is a model who is best known for being Kenan Thompson’s wife. Christina was born on the 24th of March 1989 in the United States of America. Currently, Christina Evangeline age is 30 years. Her nationality is American, and she identifies herself as a Christian. Christina Evangeline ethnicity is White, and her Zodiac sign is Aries. Christina Evangeline race is Caucasian. Details of her paren...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former Maritime Agency Boss, Buba Galadima, Accuses AMCON Of Witch-hunt After Property Takeover

  A former Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Agency, Buba Galadima, has accused the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria of witch-hunt after the agency took possession of his business and assets on Tuesday in Abuja. Galadima, an ardent critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, claimed that he did not borrow money or have unpaid debt with Unity Bank, which lodged a complaint against him and occasioned AMCON’s move on Tuesday. The properties taken over include House No. 15, Addis Ababa Crescent, Wuse Zone 4, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and House No. 4, Bangui Street, Wuse 2, also in Abuja.  Reacting to the situation, Galadima said, “This is an attempt to disgrace and break me down. This is injustice and an attempt to humiliate me. "But I am unbreakable and they can never silence me. They sacked me and over 50 people that sleep in the apartment. "We don’t know where to go. We will remain on the streets. We will remain on the streets until God provi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Learn how to clean washing machine in a surprisingly easy way

All machines can break down one day, and your washing machine is no exception. Knowing how to clean washing machine timely and effectively will help you reduce or even avoid additional expenses on servicing. Right now, you will be surprised to discover how easy it is! You do not even need any additional devices to do this except the ones that you already have in your house! Image: pexels.com Source: UGC A washing machine is an essential device in a modern home, but it has its own temper and demands! It reacts to the softness of water and quality of detergents that you use. In separate cases, the frequency and intensiveness of washing cycles can play their part. Now, it is time to discover several simple and cheap methods of cleaning of the essential parts of your little helper, to remove unpleasant odours, mould, and scale. The most important tips: how to clean washing machine How often is it necessary to do this cleaning? What do you think? Specialists insist on once in ...
Post a Comment
Read more