I never knew I was going to be head of state, says Yakubu Gowon 

Okorocha urges church leaders to desist from preaching revenge
Nigeria’s former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has said that he never perceived to be the country’s head of state.

He, however, gave thanks to God that he saw to the amicable resolution to the circumstances that surrounded his ascendancy to the nation’s number one position.

The leader of Nigeria Prays, a non-governmental religious outreach outfit, said this yesterday at the First Baptist Church, Owerri, capital of Imo State, during a prayer summit for the South-East geo-political zone to curb series of crisis and killings in the land.

He noted that there was no challenge that is bigger than what God can handle, urging Nigerians to pray without ceasing for peace to be restored in the country rather than carrying weapons, arms and ammunition.

His words: “Church leaders should stand in the gap and fervently pray for peace, prosperity and security in the nation. Again, we must have to be honest with our leaders in our followership, and do less with unnecessary criticisms of our leaders.”

“When it finally dawned on me that I was going to lead this great country of ours, Nigeria, the first thing I did was to go to God on my knees and asked him to help me so that I can always do the right thing. I thank God for the opportunity that He gave me in the course of service to this nation. But in the first instance, I never nursed any ambition to be a head of state or rule this country in any form.”

Meanwhile, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who also spoke at the event, said Christianity abhors preaching of revenge, noting that what is happening in Benue State should attract sanity preaching by the religious leaders in that part of the country.

Okorocha opined that leaders in the country should take the blame on what the country is witnessing.

His words: “Christ never retaliated all the humiliations He suffered. And Christianity does not preach revenge. So, our church leaders and Christians should not carry arms in revenge since Christianity does not allow revenge. Church leaders calling for revenge should withdraw or stop such calls.”