“Go On With One Nigeria”: The Life, Times and Legacies of General Yakubu Gowon(3), by Usman Sarki

“I saw not victory after the war, but a new and happier world after the victory” – John Buchan

Nation-building is an arduous task requiring great patience, intrepid courage and sagacity. It also requires an expansive disposition that accommodates diversity and differences of viewpoints and ideas. Aggregating diversity and achieving uniformity marks the culmination of a successful national construction effort. They also mark and differentiate the true leader from the ordinary acolytes who come to power without merit and leave unsung without any remarkable achievements.

Lately, issues related to governance and the restructuring of Nigeria have come to the fore as subjects of spirited conversation and even heightened expectation. More often than not, indulgence in rhetoric and superficial exchanges characterises such efforts, without recourse to antecedents that have shaped the evolution of the state, politics and government in this country. The defining spirit of the nation itself, which is the 1999 Constitution, has been relentlessly attacked and disdainfully consigned to the dustbin by a partisan opinion that alleges its “imposition” on the nation, by a military “dictatorship”, hence the calls for its abrogation.

The appeal to regionalism, the spirited and absurd attempts at reviving the 2014 National Conference and the calls for implementing its controversial recommendations as an aspect of “restructuring” the nation, are also part of the scheme to ostensibly create a “new and better” Nigeria. These and other postures that negate the history of the evolution of institutions and processes in the country, would need to be dispassionately discussed and debunked in order to introduce a semblance of maturity into the debate around “restructuring” Nigeria. Arbitrary and whimsical dismissal of the past and cynical condescension towards the present, would not do under the circumstances.

A sober and calm reflection on the Nigerian condition has become necessary at this time of uncertainty and agitation. However, we cannot do so in isolation of the actors who shaped the destiny of our country or the episodes that influenced the evolution of our nation. The most important of such personalities still alive is indisputably General Yakubu Gowon, whose crucial role in keeping Nigeria united and moving forward the task of nation-building, remain feats that are of sterling qualities as any that were witnessed anywhere in the world.

It is only by acknowledging the actions and actors in the drama of nation-building that we can make progress and appreciate all that have been bequeathed to us. It is more in hope rather than in despair therefore; that I sought to highlight the historical role of General Yakubu Gowon, in the making of modern Nigeria more than any other leader of this country. With each passing generation, history becomes dimmer and personalities become fainter in the memories of our people, as such it behoves upon us who have the privilege to be taught by history about those episodes in the making of our country, to relate them for posterity and the instruction of younger generations.

Gowon’s most enduring legacy is self-evident in the fact of Nigeria still remaining a single, united and confident nation that is conscious of her historic role as the harbinger of hope and respect for the Black Race. The undertaking of the enterprise of building Nigeria required a man of vision, integrity, wisdom, selfless spirit, patriotism and an understanding of the tasks entrusted to him by destiny such as Yakubu Gowon. 

General Gowon must loom large in any narrative about modern Nigeria for reasons that are self-evident and undisputable. From 7th September, just a month after coming to power, to 3rd October, 1966, General Gowon convened a National Conference to discuss Nigeria’s future and find a formula for the four regions of that time to live together in harmony. In his own words, he charged the Conference to envision a situation “which will not jeopardize our children’s chances of building a great African nation that can command respect of the world”. He also enjoined the participants thus, “Let us not allow our country, generally referred to as the “Giant of Africa” to become a flop”.

In both cases, General Gowon cautioned against the break-up of Nigeria or its becoming a unitary state, instead, he submitted four propositions on the structure of government for Nigeria for the Conference to consider which are: (i) A federal system with a strong central government, (ii) A federal system with a weak central government, (iii) A confederate arrangement, or (iv) An entirely new arrangement peculiar to the country. These are the same issues that some Nigerians are today grappling with, for want of the knowledge of history, in their futile attempts at “restructuring” Nigeria, as if they are dealing with entirely new concepts or inventions.

It is true that those who ignore the past are bound to repeat its mistakes. Gowon anticipated our contemporary dilemma and offered us a way out by proposing methodologies for remedying our political challenges through conscious home-grown efforts at devising the most suitable political arrangements for our country as far back as 58 years ago. The prerogative, privileges, duties and roles of all the tiers of government were thoroughly discussed and opinions on the regional governments were freely ventilated. Yet, today’s critics with their hastily drawn conclusions and limited historical horizons, would declare that the military government was a “dictatorship” and all its decisions were “arbitrary impositions” on the country.

The 1966 Conference discussed all that were needed to be deliberated on at the time, including the items that should be under the federal exclusive list as well as those to be consigned to the regions under concurrent and residual list arrangements. Issues of economic nature including taxation, derivation, retention of revenue by each region, and others that today seem so controversial and insurmountable, were all discussed during that Conference. Even the issue of creation of more states was not left out of the discussion. Therefore, the agitation for “restructuring” Nigeria that seems to be needlessly raging today, has been a feature of politics and governance in this country since its infancy, and it is not a new or unfamiliar subject at all.

General Yakubu Gowon was the first leader to effectively “restructure” Nigeria by producing such enduring legacies as we have them today in the form of states and local governments, as well as various federal institutions that continue to shape the destiny of our country and people. Every Nigerian who travels to any West African country without the need of a visa, everyone who proudly donned the NYSC uniform and cap, every product of the Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria, and every citizen who breathes the fresh air of liberty and freedom in Nigeria today, must thank General Yakubu Gowon for these blessings.

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