Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has attributed his ascension 50 years ago to “an accident of history”.
Gowon became Head of State on August 1, 1966 after the Head of State, Major General Johnson Thomas Umunakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, was killed on July 29, 1966.
As a military leader, he reigned for nine years, during which Nigeria also fought a civil war (1967-70).
He said he did not nurse the ambition to be the leader of the country.
Gowon stated this when Deputy Chairman of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Sen. Shehu Sani, paid him a courtesy call in Abuja on Wednesday.
Gowon was reacting to calls by some Nigerians for the reduction of age limit to 30 years to contest for presidential position in the country.
“What happened was an 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 a 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’’, he said.
The former head of state advised younger Nigerians to prepare themselves academically and morally to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
Gowon also said there was nothing wrong with restructuring the country, provided it is done within one Nigeria context.
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.
Gowon, through a broadcast on May 30, 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, 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 breakaway, it is not my way of thinking’’, he said.
