The former minister of state for commerce and industry, Josephine Tapgun, has commended General Yakubu Gowon for standing up for Nigeria when it mattered most, saying his role in keeping Nigeria one has made him a symbol of Nigeria’s unity and a reference point for good leaders in the country.
A statement signed and issued in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday to commemorate Gen. Gowon’s 77th birthday, said the current transformational agenda of the present administration in the country was an indication of President Goodluck Jonathan’s respect and willingness to build on what amiable leaders like Gen. Gowon have contributed to the development of the country.
She noted that Gowon was the first Nigerian leader to accord high respect to the Nigerian woman by giving his wife, Victoria, prominence, which was emulated by subsequent Nigerian leaders and which the current First Lady, Patience Jonathan, had done much to consolidate and earn the position and the Nigerian woman respect and dignity.
The former minister further said Nigeria owed its unity to the role Gowon played during and after the civil war, when he exhibited a strong belief in one Nigeria and never for once allowed emotions to get the better of him. This, she asserted, made it possible for all parts Nigeria to accept him as the national leader once the war was over.
She said the posture, coupled with the “no victor no vanquished” position of his government, reassured all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and religion that they had a stake in a united Nigeria that he canvassed.
Tapgun further said that Gowon’s introduction of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) and the idea of unity schools across the country served to emphasize national integration among the cultures of the diverse peoples of the country, which helped in stabilizing the polity and gave many Nigerians a sense of worth wherever they found themselves within the country.
She called on the younger generation of Nigerian leaders to emulate leadership qualities of the former head of state, whose passion for the unity and development of Nigeria had not diminished over the years.