<\/p>\n
A former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), said on
\nWednesday that an Igbo president would help heal the civil war wounds,
\nmaintaining that he supports the idea of rotational presidency.<\/p>\n
Gowon said this while delivering a lecture entitled \u201cNo Victor, No
\nVanquished: Healing the Nigerian Nation\u201d to mark the 6th Convocation
\nceremony of the Chukwumeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, in
\nAnambra.<\/p>\n
He explained that the civil war was not out of hatred for the late Igbo
\nleader Odumegwu Ojukwu or the Igbos, but was based on the principle of a
\ncommitment to a robust Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is wrong to conclude that the civil war broke out following the
\nfailure of the Aburi Accord but was the direct result of a unilateral
\ndecision of independence for Eastern Nigeria<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there was no seccession, there would have been no war.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a reluctant war waged to unite the country,\u201d Gowon explained.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that many people died of hunger and diseases during the
\nperiod but maintained that the Federal Government ensured that starvation
\nwas not used as a weapon of war.<\/p>\n
Gowon said that Nigerians should be proud of the gains of the war through
\nthe healing balm of \u201cno victor, no vanquished.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to him, the three Rs of reconciliation, rehabilitation and
\nreconstruction were adopted to enhance national unity.<\/p>\n
He also argued that the abandonment of the development plan drafted
\nimmediately after the war by successive governments, resulted in the
\ninfrastructural decay in the country.<\/p>\n
The former head of state, however, lauded Ojukwu for his courage in
\ndefending his people during the war, saying: \u201cif Ojukwu were in my shoes,
\nhe would have equally waged the war.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also commended the Anambra government and management of the university
\nfor honouring Ojukwu with the change in name of the institution from
\nAnambra State University to COOU.<\/p>\n
Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra, who lauded Gowon for honouring the
\ninvitation, said education was dear to his administration.<\/p>\n
Represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha,
\nObiano said that a blue print for the development of higher education
\nwould soon be implemented in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cInfrastructure, students\u2019 welfare as well as teachers and lecturers\u2019
\nwelfare are important tools for developing the education sector of the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis administration has increased the salaries of teachers in rural areas
\nby 20 per cent and has approved extra N3, 000 for teachers who teach core
\nsubjects,\u2019\u2019 Obiano said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Fidelis Okafor, said
\nthat the lecture was designed to honour Ojukwu and give opportunity to
\nGowon to clear the air on the civil war.<\/p>\n
The university will, on March 26, hold its convocation ceremony at the
\nIgbariam campus. (NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), said on Wednesday that an Igbo president would help heal the civil war wounds, maintaining that he supports the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n