The Life, Times And Legacies Of General Yakubu Gowon

By Usman Sarki

“But for General Gowon, Nigeria would not have been as it is today” – Major-General Paul C. Tarfa

The role of the individual in history has been explored by historians and philosophers alike over the ages. Thucydides, Polybius, Tacitus, Abd al-Rahman Ibn Khaldun, Ahmed Ibn Fartuwa, Edward Gibbon, Georgi Plekhanov, Thomas Carlyle, and many others, have delineated with the pen of erudition the lives of individuals who have shaped their epochs and left their imprints on the world’s history.

Objective assessment and candid reporting should suffice in giving a contemporary account of any episode in government and politics. Alas, things are not so clear-cut in this age of instant dismissal of reality and hiding behind grandiose rhetorical refutations of successes and the gleeful belittling of sacrifices.

The place attained by General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, in Nigeria’s and Africa’s contemporary development cannot be assailed by the malice of detractors or belittled by the efforts of revisionist historians. He has attained a station in life and a stature in our imagination so lofty, glittering and magnificent, that we must look up to him always and not down at him, to realise the immense significance of his being and the relevance of his role in the making of contemporary Nigeria and modern Africa. The fact that he is the most enduring public figure alive in Nigeria today says a lot about his life and times.

The profundity of the task of delineating the life of such a man in such a small space taxes one’s imagination and leaves one in awe and trepidation. He became the leader of the most populous Black Nation on earth and one of the largest in Africa on August 1, 1966. He was only 32 years old and stayed in power for nine years. He was instantly elevated from Lieutenant-Colonel to the rank of four-star General to reflect the dignity and importance of his new station. Shouldering the responsibilities of leadership at that relatively young age was an experience that few could bear, or a situation that only those imbued with unique talents could rise up to.

To be confronted almost immediately with an existential crisis of fighting a civil war was beyond the remit of the job and his experience. However, he stood up to the test and by the dint of courage, intrepid energy and uncommon perception; he overcame the difficulty and triumphed in a spectacular way. His nine years in office were marked by unprecedented progress and rapid modernisation of the country. Peace and happiness reigned everywhere and certainty seemed to be the defining attribute of Nigeria both in her domestic and foreign undertakings. Nigeria achieved a stellar status in her dealings with other countries under him, with spectacular performances at forums like the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, and the Commonwealth. He co-founded the regional organisation ECOWAS, whose resilience today adds lustre to his glory and statesmanship.

His diplomacy rallied around him not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa and other countries of the world, towards keeping Nigeria one and winning the internecine war of 1967-1970. Feats such as these remain never to be repeated or surpassed in the annals of our country. During those agonising years, he bestrode the road of peace unlike any other leader anywhere before him.

He did everything possible to avoid war and sought to settle a family dispute peacefully. When all else failed, he did not give in to the pessimism of the moment or succumb to the pressure and blackmail of ambitious adventurers.

He remained steadfast and true to his calling as a soldier and a leader. Despite the obstinate refusal of his principal adversary to come to terms to save Nigeria, he did not relent in his search for the truth and for peace. From Aburi to Niamey, from Yaoundé to Addis Ababa, from Kinshasa to Dare-es-Salaam and Kampala, his government went wherever the hopes and prospects of peace beckoned without malicious intent or the fatigue of conviction.

He accepted offers of mediation from every quarter and did not begrudge the hidden and avowed antics of Ivory Coast, Gabon and Tanzania, or the neo-colonial opportunism of France, that mistakenly sympathised with the breakaway entity of Biafra.

If a nation can be said to have been made in the image of an individual, Nigeria could certainly be said to be made in the image of General Yakubu Dan’Yumma Gowon, Military Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and “Father of the Nation”. There is no disputing the fact that without his role and personal contributions, Nigeria would not have been the country that it is today.

General Gowon and others of his time contributed beyond measure to the making of modern Nigeria and ensured that it remained a single and undivided country with the destiny to lead the Black Race. It is this destiny that is now a matter that he bequeathed to his successors which should be uppermost in any expectations that we may harbour for this nation.

No other African leader trod the path of honour, power and glory with such confidence and certainty as Gowon did in his nine years in office. His stature was never diminished by the adversities of the times or the circumstances of his removal from power. Indeed, with each passing day and year, his significance renews itself and his place in history becomes even more certain and fixed.

No other Nigerian leader before or after him sat so assuredly and dazzlingly on the throne of destiny as Gowon did. He was the most dashing, the most charming, the most charismatic and most gallant leader that Nigeria ever had.

(This opinion piece was culled from Vanguard)

Ambassador Usman Sarki is a retired career diplomat of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was involved in the crafting and execution of the country’s foreign policy.