A
former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has appealed to
Nigerian politicians to stop overheating the polity, asking them to
sheathe their swords in the overall interest of the country.
Gowon spoke in Abuja on Monday as the Chairman of the Edwin Kaigbodo Clark Foundation’s N25bn fund raising ceremony.
He said, “Love your country above
anything. This bickering must stop. You must replace this bickering with
love, patriotism and loyalty. Shower our fatherland with love and
strength.
“Let us look at the future; there is greater room for all of us. There is no country we have than Nigeria. I am an apolitical solder. I don’t get involved in politics; I have the love and loyalty of all.”
Continue after the break.
Gowon, who ruled the country for nine
years between 1966 and 1975, described Clark, who was a former minister
of information as a man with a great reconciliatory spirit.
He told the gathering that Clark played tremendous role in ensuring reconciliation of the country after the 1967-1970 civil war.
He said that it was the reconciliatory
role played by Clark that helped “in the rebuilding of some classrooms
in the University of Nigeria Nsukka and the Queens College in Enugu.”
Also speaking at the occasion, Rev.
Jesse Jackson told the gathering, which included President Goodluck
Jonathan, some ministers and two state governors that there were over
36,000 Nigerian medical doctors in the United States.
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