Okechukwu Okereke, a former governorship candidate of Great Nigeria People’s Party, GNPP, in Abia State, has urged former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon to immediately apologize to the Igbo nation and Nigerians in general for his recent statement at the Aso Rock Villa.
The apology, he said, would calm the minds of the people who, according to Okereke, felt offended by the statement attributed to Gowon.
The former Head of State was recently quoted as saying that “I know and if I can remember, when I was fighting the war, I was told I was too slow and probably Nigeria cannot make it and that we should seek discussion. Well, did we do it or not?”
The former governorship candidate, on Wednesday, advised Gen. Gowon, as an elder statement, to refrain from making statements that may make Ndigbo and other Nigerians to start remembering the ugly war episodes of the past.
Okereke, who said that Nigerians were going through terrible economic hardship, pointed out that uncomplimentary words from a highly placed citizen like Gowon could cause more outrage.
He said that it was wrong for Gowon to compare his military administration with President Bola Tinubu, as according Okereke, Gowon’s decision to create a 12-state structure instead of implementing an agreement he signed with Odumegwu Ojukwu before the civil war, was responsible for the crises the nation was still facing today.
“Why is he comparing himself with Tinubu? He is supposed to retire. He should not remind us of what has been forgotten. He owes Ndigbo and Nigerians an apology and he should do that now.
“There is no comparison between Gowon’s military junta and Tinubu’s civilian administration. His 3Rs is not true. When he visited us at Government College after the war, he spoke from an armored car; is Tinubu speaking from an armored car? So why the comparison?” He queried.
Okereke, who said that the ongoing moves to amend the Nigerian constitution were a pointer that many things were wrong with the Nigeria General Gowon bequeathed to his predecessors in office, said that it was wrong for Gowon to say that Nigerians who were hungry, do not really understand the problem underground.
The “All Hail Biafra” anthem composer made it clear that the military administration of Gen. Gowon failed to reconcile Nigerians and therefore, he is not qualified to advise a civilian administration.
