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• Ex-president heads AU mission for Zambian polls
• Gowon backs restructuring within one nation
Nigerians need to be united to overcome their economic challenges and attain the desired development of the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan said after meeting with his successor, Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja yesterday.
In an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, he said there was the need for all stakeholders to join hands and salvage the country.
Jonathan’s comments came against the backdrop of the renewed agitation in the Niger Delta region, resulting in the reported attempt to declare Niger Delta Republic earlier this week. He said the issue about the unity of the country does not revolve around an individual, but about the larger society.
He said he and other notable stakeholders, including traditional rulers were working hard towards ensuring lasting peace in the region, which is a re-requisite for development.
According to him, “It’s not just about me, but about all the traditional rulers, elders and opinion leaders that are of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. We have been in touch to see that peace reigns in the country. Those of you who have followed my thoughts when I was here, my emphasis have been that we need a united Nigeria and I always emphasise that Nigeria is great not just because of the oil. So many countries produce more oil than Nigeria, yet nobody notices them.
“We are great because of our size, the human resources we have, the diversity we have. If we fragment the country into small components we will be forgotten by the world, that has been my focal position and without peace there cannot be development anywhere in the world. We are all working collectively to see that issues are resolved.”
Though some of his former ministers and aides have been arrested and are answering charges, the former leader declined comments on the war against corruption by the current administration.
His words: “I don’t want to talk about that’’ (fight against corruption) because there are too many cases that are in court. It will not be fair to make comments. I will talk at the appropriate time when most of these things are resolved.”
Jonathan, who was just appointed to head the African Union (AU) Election Observer Team to Zambia, said he had come to brief the president about his mission.
He said: “As you are aware, I will be leading the AU elections monitoring team to Zambia. I came to brief the president about some of these external engagements. It is the tradition.
“One key thing is that having been a head of a government, a former president you become a state property, that’s the privilege you have. But every privilege has its corresponding responsibility and once you become a state property, most of your international engagements, that have to do with public addresses and some international assignments become a national assignment, you brief the sitting president.
“Even when I was here, the former presidents used to do that and see me. I have been coming, most times I come in the night, that’s why you don’t see me. I came to brief the president about some of my engagements.”
Meanwhile, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), says there is nothing wrong with restructuring the country provided it is done within the context of one Nigeria.
Gowon stated this when Sen. Shehu Sani, the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja yesterday.
Reacting to calls by some Nigerians to restructure the country, Gowon said there was nothing wrong with restructuring.
He recalled that Nigeria was restructured under his leadership as the head of state with the creation of states in 1967.
We can restructure within one Nigeria context. I did it in 1967; we created states to stop eastern Nigeria from seceding.
We had to do something to ensure the fear of their seceding did not exist; a serious issue of a part of the country wanting to breakaway when we already lost a part to Cameroon.
“If we had allowed the eastern region to go away, the map of Nigeria would have looked funny; it would have been tilted one way.
So, we decided overnight to break the fear through the creation of states. If we had to save the country that was the only way to do it.
We also ensured that no state was too big or too small to threaten the unity of the country,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Gowon, through a broadcast in 1967, announced the creation of 12 states which are, North-Western, North-Eastern, Kano and North-Central states.
Others are Benue-Plateau, Kwara, Western, Lagos, Mid-Western, Rivers (a South-Eastern state), East-Central and East-Central states.
The former head of state added that the call for true federalism by some Nigerians was also not a bad idea, as long as it was done within the context of the nation’s unity.
What is true federalism? As long as it means respect for oneness of our country, it is alright, but if it means to break away, it is not my way of thinking,’’ he said.
Besides, Gowon attributed his becoming head of state 50 years ago to the accident of history. He said he did not nurse the ambition to be the leader of the country.
Gowon reacted to calls by some Nigerians for the reduction of age limit to 30 years to contest for presidential position in the country.
He said: “What happened was the accident of history. When you have lost your leadership and there was crisis and you don’t know what to do and it happened that those within your constituency chose you, what would you do? I was lucky enough within the military at that time and all the officers knew me by reputation.
I had no intention to become head of state but it is the opportunity, if opportunity presents itself and people ask you to do it then do it. What I have achieved is (because of) God. I had never thought of becoming head of state but there was a coup and all my senior colleagues were killed and I was the only one that survived.
My plan was to rise in my profession and hopefully become the head in my profession but that did not happen. I didn’t know what happened but I had the duty and responsibility to ensure the coup in Lagos did not succeed.’’
The former head of state advised younger Nigerians to prepare themselves academically and morally to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
Gowon became the leader of Nigeria, following the military coup of July 1966. The earlier coup had brought democracy to an end in the country, with the killing of regional political leaders in the northern and western regions, the prime minister and senior military officers of northern extraction.
As a military leader, he reigned for nine years, during which Nigeria also fought a civil war (1967-70).
