Gowon Reflects on His Legacy

General Yakubu Gowon has a special charm. At 92, he shows quiet dignity. He will turn 92 in October. He is a lucky man, but age has brought changes. The sight of a man who once carried himself with power now shows frailty and deep thought about how history will remember him.

This happens to everyone. Sometimes, I look in the mirror and see a stranger looking back at me.

Maybe it is this worry about how he will be remembered that pushed Gowon to write his memoir, My Life of Duty and Allegiance. In it, he presents himself as a leader who made tough choices to keep Nigeria united. He describes himself as a patriot who faced a nation on the brink of breaking apart and managed to hold it together against great odds.

I have not met General Gowon, but he seems like a decent and humble man. He avoids conflict and seldom criticizes others. You won't find him publicly attacking his successors or writing open letters. That is not his style.

He shares some traits with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Both leaders showed humility and kindness despite being in powerful positions. They did not chase power aggressively. Instead, they found themselves in those roles due to circumstances beyond their control.

For many young people today, it is hard not to feel disappointment towards Gowon. He led Nigeria during a critical time, making decisions that affected millions. Different choices during the political crisis leading to the Nigerian Civil War could have saved many lives. Even if we accept his reasons, history warns us that good intentions can lead to bad outcomes.

I chose not to read Gowon’s memoir in full, though I looked at parts of it and read what others said about it. After reading General Ibrahim Babangida’s A Journey in Service, I was not eager to experience more pain from stories of soldiers whose political actions hurt our country.

Babangida’s memoir rejected the idea that the 1966 coup was just an Igbo plot for power. But was this really new? Major Adewale Ademoyega had said something similar in his book, Why We Struck. Many Nigerians, regardless of their background, know the history is more complex than that simple story.

Babangida’s comments are important but do not change the national conversation. Nigeria is not ready to have such difficult discussions. You cannot wake someone who chooses to stay asleep.

The question is: what good is acknowledgment if Nigeria lacks the courage to face past injustices? It is easier to challenge uncomfortable truths than to work on healing and making things right.

Babangida governed for eight years and could have tackled some of Nigeria's historical wrongs. Instead, he picked political convenience over fixing the past. His deputy, Vice Admiral Ebitu Ukiwe, an Igbo officer known for his integrity, was controversially removed. But I digress.

Gowon faced a tough situation. In 1966 and 1967, Nigeria was struggling with military coups and ethnic tensions. Leading such a country needed courage and wisdom.

But history judges leaders not just by their intentions but by the results of their actions. Did Gowon truly save Nigeria, or did he maintain a fragile situation that still causes trouble today?

A marriage cannot last just because the partners have to stay together. A real union needs trust, fairness, and respect. Keeping up appearances without addressing real issues does not heal wounds; it only puts off the inevitable confrontation.

More than fifty years later, we are still discussing restructuring, the same issue from Gowon’s time. It is ironic. The talks that dominate Nigeria's politics today were also part of the Aburi Accord of 1967. We often think problems will go away if we ignore them. But they usually grow bigger until we have to deal with them.

The agreement in Aburi, Ghana, between Gowon and Eastern Region leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu aimed to avoid war by giving more power to Nigeria’s regions and reducing central control. It also sought to settle disputes through dialogue instead of fighting.

But when Gowon returned to Nigeria, his government did not follow through on what many thought was agreed in Aburi. This loss of trust led to the breakdown of talks and the start of the Nigerian Civil War.

Gowon’s biggest failure might not just be fighting a war that could have been avoided but also missing out on a chance to build strong institutions during his rule. The oil boom of the 1970s brought Nigeria wealth. The country, which had struggled before, suddenly had great resources.

This was a chance to create strong institutions, diversify the economy, and invest in the people for lasting growth. But much of the oil money was wasted, leaving future generations with missed opportunities.

Norway found oil around the same time but chose a different route. Instead of using oil money immediately, Norway built systems to save wealth for the future and created the Government Pension Fund Global. Today, that fund is worth over a trillion dollars, showing responsible management. Other oil-rich countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia also turned their resources into long-term assets.

Corruption was not new in Nigeria, but during Gowon’s time, it grew in scale and boldness. The 1970 Lagos bus scandal showed this problem. The Lagos State government bought old buses from Sweden at an inflated price. While Lagos was responsible, it reflected a larger governance failure. Gowon did not just face corruption; he also failed to control powerful military leaders who acted without checks.

One area where Gowon’s government did invest was in education and federal institutions. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), started in 1973, became a lasting legacy, aimed at promoting unity after the civil war. Gowon’s Nigeria also became a more significant player in Africa, supporting liberation movements and taking a stronger leadership role.

This growing influence was shown through Nigeria’s hosting of FESTAC ’77, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture. Although the event happened after Gowon left power, the planning began under his government, showing Nigeria's efforts to enhance its cultural and diplomatic presence globally.

The festival cost Nigeria about $400 million, which is around $2 billion today. Whether this was wise spending or a misallocation of resources is still debated, especially considering Nigeria's many needs at that time.

In the announcement of Gowon’s removal on 29 July 1975, Colonel Joseph Garba said:

"The government has failed to live up to expectations. The country is being run without direction, and corruption and indiscipline have become widespread."

General Gowon is now an elder statesman. He deserves respect for his long service. But he must also see that history demands accountability, not just admiration. Nations cannot celebrate their past without facing the realities of their leaders' decisions.

History is not written just by those in power. It is also shaped by those who bear the consequences of that power.

For many Nigerians, Gowon’s time is a dark period in our history, marked by a devastating civil war and lost chances for real development.

Nigeria survived, but survival is not the goal. The founding fathers did not just want us to endure; they wanted us to thrive.