While speaking at this year’s edition of the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture and post humous birthday, former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, on Monday, paid glowing tribute to late Obafemi Awolowo for working hard to save Nigeria from breaking up during the civil war (1967-1970).
Gowon who spoke at the event organised by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation in Lagos, said he worked with the late political sage at a very difficult period of war in the country and, together, they successfully turned the situation around.
“Awolowo teamed up with us and helped keep Nigeria together without borrowing a kobo during the war. He and the team of elders, who were in my government at the time, advised us, and we took a decision that was in the best interest of Nigeria,” he said.
Gowon also denied saying the country had so much money, but didn’t know what to do with it, a statement that had been attributed to him for many years.
Also speaking at the event, a former Commonwealth Secretary General, Emeka Anyaoku, said the founding fathers of Nigeria would have been disappointed by what he described as the disrespect to the judiciary by the Federal Government.
Anyaoku, who is also the chairman, Selection Committee, Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership, said the country is heading towards the wrong direction because of the actions of the government.
“I wonder how Nigeria’s founding fathers, like Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello, would feel with the present situation in the country. They would be disappointed that instead of having viable federating units, we have weaker and non viable units with an all powerful government at the centre, which stifles competition and growth.
They would also be disappointed that the Federal Government disrespects the judiciary and disobeys court orders; our fathers would be disappointed with the direction the country is headed. I, therefore, urge those who are involved in government to emulate the likes of Awolowo and Azikiwe,” he said.
He also said the selection committee considered several names submitted to it for the award of “Price for Leadership”, but regretted that none of them met the criteria which would have been universally acclaimed to approximate what Awolowo represented in his lifetime.
“The last two recipients, Wole Soyinka and Thabo Mbeki qualified for the award because they possess the qualities which are great integrity, impressive capacity, consistency in convictions, impeccable patriotism, love of country without considering personal sacrifice involved,” Anyaoku said.
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was a guest of honor, said despite having died over 30 years ago, Awolowo’s spirit was still living with us.
“He was a leader and was not temperamental. A leader is someone who can take criticisms and not one who is temperamental. We should not live our lives based on riches, but should be more interested in how we touch the lives of those around us,” the monarch said.
