Former Nigerian military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, has called on Nigerians to defend at all cost, the unity of the country.
The former military leader made the call in a presentation delivered at an event tagged: Sixty Nation Builders at Sixty” in Abuja on Friday.
Even though Gowon who was the chairman of the occasion did not attend in person; he joined the conversation via webinar.
Addressing the gathering, the reverred elderstatesman enjoined Nigerians to close ranks and resist agents of destabilization or any arrangement including talks of restructuring targeted against the unity of the country.
Gowon said he is satisfied with the success Nigeria has achieved in sixty years and called on citizens to continue to work and live together in harmony for the great country they desire.
General Gowon said he has picked a lot of lessons from the civil war more than half a century ago that threatened the country’s unity when he was head of state.
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He called on the younger generation sixty of whom were being honoured for their exemplary achievements in the task of nation building to reflect on it as well and learn to love their country.
Gowon was overthrown in 1975; but has remained active as elderstatesman; promoting peace and unity.
He has however been in the news lately after a British parliamentarian accused him of taking “half of Nigeria’s Central Bank” to the United Kingdom while on exile there.
Notwithstanding the allegation; the organizers of the event are proud of his accomplishments.
They explained that the event was not only to acknowledge and honour sixty nation builders but also to change the mindset of Nigerians from pessimism to optimism.
Speaking with AIT, former governor of Zamfara state, Ahmed Rufai Yarima, identified insecurity as Nigerians greatest challenge at sixty and called on Nigerians to join hands with the government to defeat enemies of the state.
Others at the event expressed optimism that Nigeria will overcome all of its current challenges and take its rightful leadership position in the comity of nations.
( Editor: Omor Bazuaye)
