Yakubu Gowon: Wetin to know about Nigeria former head of state

General Yakubu Gowon with im wife for UK (1973)

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Out of all di military Head of State wey Nigerian don get, na Gowon tenure last pass

One lawmaker for UK parliament on Monday, accuse General Gowon of corruption.

During di UK parliament debate about di End SARS protest against police brutality wey happun for di kontri last month, di lawmakers tok on di need to interfere and take action against di goment officials wey carry out unlawful acts against di youth during dis protest.

One of di lawmakers tok say, wetin dey happun for Nigeria na fallout of corruption and violence and e tok say di UK need to use di power wey dem get to stop pipo wey dey profit from di wealth of Nigeria wey dey hide am for UK.

“Some pipo go remember, wen Gen Gowon comot from Nigeria wit half of di CBN moni – so dem bin tok- and e move to London.”

“We sabi say even today, e get some pipo wey don take from di Nigeria pipo and hide dia ill – gotten gains for di UK.

“We know say dem don use some of our banks for di illegal transfers.”He tok and ask di parliament to take action against pipo wey dey involved.

Di Uk lawmaker though no tok more about proof of di allegation and dem no ever find General Gowon guilty of dat accuse..

Nigerians react to di tori say Gen Gowon bin enta UK wit di “half of Central Bank of Nigeria moni” as dem bin see di former military leader as national hero.

Even as some surprise about dat tori, many express how dem no see General Gowon as corrupt pesin.

According to Senator Shehu Sani, “di claim of ‘looting di CBN’ made by di British Minister for Africa as represented by Mr James Duddridge against Gen Gowon na nothing but outright falsehood. Gowon comot power without any evidence of wealth & dat one don remain, for over four decades afta power”. E tok.

Who be Yakubu Gowon and why im go UK?

Yakubu Gowon na di youngest political and military leader to rule Nigeria.

Im be 31 wen e serve as di head of state of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975 afta one military coup wey lead to di death of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria Prime Minister, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of di Northern Region; and Samuel Akintola, Premier of di Western Region, Lt Col Arthur Unegbe and many odas.

Gowon bin no get hand for di coup as im bin just travel from UK wia im just finish one course for di Junior staff college.

Afta di assassination of General Aguiyi Ironsi wey gbab power afta di coup, Gowon wey be di den chief of staff later become di head of state.

Gowon rule di kontri for nine years before anoda coup happun wen im travel go attend one OAU summit for Kampala, coup plotters announce Brigadier Murtala Muhammad as di new head of state, and Brigadier Olusegun Obasanjo as im deputy.

Di Nigerian civil war bin happun during Yakubu Gowon reign as head of state wen di eastern region bin declare formal secession to become di Republic of Biafra.

Di civil war last for 30 months until 13 January 1970 wen Obasanjo accept di surrender of di Biafran forces.

Gowon bin exile for di United Kingdom, afta di coup d’état wey overthrow am for 1975, na dia im stay to obtain im PHD for political science as a student at di University of Warwick.

For February 1976, Lt. Col Buka Suka Dimka bin accuse Gowon say e get hand for di coup wey lead to di death of Gen Murtala Mohammed.

Gen Gowon later get state pardon plus di ex-Biafran President, Emeka Ojukwu during di Second Republic under President Shehu Shagari.

In November 2004, Gowon win World Peace Prize Top Honor from World Peace Prize Awarding Council for maintaining national stability, promoting economic growth, and organizing symbolic peace conference for di African region.