Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the policies of ex-Head of State, Yakubu Gowon are still relevant in Nigeria’s development.
Jonathan stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while chairing the public presentation of Gowon’s autobiography, ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance.’
He noted that Gowon is a courageous leader who assumed office at one of the most difficult periods in Nigeria’s history and successfully steered the country through the Nigerian Civil War.
“Many people can be good leaders when the environment is stable. It is during periods of crisis that true leadership is revealed.
“General Gowon, at a very young age, led this country through a major civil war whose effects are still with us today. Yet, despite the pain and divisions of that era, he remained committed to preserving national unity and demonstrated remarkable magnanimity with his declaration of ‘No victor, no vanquished.’ That philosophy laid the foundation for healing, reconstruction and reintegration,” Jonathan said.
According to him, Gowon would be remembered not only for his wartime leadership but also for enduring policies and major infrastructure projects introduced during his administration.
Jonathan singled out the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, established in 1973, as one of Gowon’s most significant legacies.
“The NYSC was created to reorient young Nigerians and foster national unity by enabling them to live and work in different parts of the country.
“Although we have not fully achieved that vision, because some politicians still speak as though Nigeria were in the pre-1914 era, the initiative was a bold and far-sighted policy,” he added.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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