How Former Head Of State General Yakubu Gowon Reacted To His Death Rumour
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Nigeria’s former military Head of State, Retired General Yakubu Gowon has reacted to rumours making the rounds that he died on Monday.
Some online news portals and social media had the death rumour trending for several hours forcing the reaction from the former military leader.
His Personal Media Aide, Adeyeye E. Ajayi said in a statement, late Monday night, that the former military leader is alive and well.
According to the Ajayi, Gowon said “I am still around and well. I am not in a hurry”.
General Yakubu Gowon was rumoured to had died at the age of 89 on Monday, October 9, 2023.
General Gowon, a retired Nigerian Army General, was the head of state from 1966 to 1975.
An Anglican Christian from a minority Ngas family, Gowon was born on October 19, 1934, in Lur, Plateau State. He joined the Nigerian army in 1954 and rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant colonel in 1966.
He became the head of state after a coup d’état that ousted General Aguiyi Ironsi, who had taken power after another coup that killed Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and other senior politicians.
Gowon faced the challenge of keeping Nigeria united amid the secession of the Eastern Region that declared itself as the Republic of Biafra in 1967.
He led the federal government in a bloody civil war that lasted for over three years.
The Nigeria – Biafra civil war claimed over a million lives. He also initiated several reforms and programs to improve the economy, education, health, and infrastructure of the country.
General Yakubu Gowon is widely regarded as a peacemaker and a statesman who sought to heal the wounds of the war and foster national reconciliation.
He delivered the famous “no victor, no vanquished” speech at the end of the war and established the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to promote unity and integration among Nigerian youths.
Gowon was overthrown in a coup led by General Murtala Mohammed in 1975 while he was attending an Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit in Kampala, Uganda.
As a result, he was forced into exile in the United Kingdom, where he pursued his academic studies and obtained a PhD in political science from the University of Warwick.
He later returned to Nigeria and became involved in various peace and humanitarian initiatives, both locally and internationally.
He founded the Yakubu Gowon Centre (YGC) in 1992, a non-governmental organization that focuses on conflict resolution, democracy, good governance, health, and education.
He also served as the leader of the Nigeria Prays movement, a Christian interdenominational group that prays for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
Gowon has been honoured with several awards and recognitions for his contributions to Nigeria and Africa.
He has also been conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Nigeria’s highest national honor.
He has equally received honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Jos, Ahmadu Bello University, Obafemi Awolowo University, and University of Nigeria. He was also awarded the African Leadership Award by the African Leadership Magazine in 2018.
General Yakubu Gowon is happily married to Victoria Gowon, whom he married in 1969, and they have four children.
His death rumour had triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes from some Nigerians before the rumour was dispelled.
