Gowon fortunate he’s celebrated in his lifetime — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, said he has always secretly admired former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon because he was one of a few global leaders who got celebrated in their lifetime.

Obasanjo gave the glowing tribute at the opening ceremony of a four-day international conference of the African Biblical Leadership Initiative in Abuja.

Gowon’s rise to power followed the July 1966 counter-coup and he was head of state for the longest continuous period, ruling for almost nine years until his overthrow in the coup d’état of 1975 by the then Brig Murtala Mohammed.

The Nigerian Civil War which began on July 6, 1967, and ended on January 15, 1970, was one of the deadliest in modern history, with some accusing Gowon of crimes against humanity and genocide.

The former head of state maintained that he committed no wrongdoing during the war and that his leadership saved the country.

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, Gowon clocked 90 years and was greeted by many personalities and bodies nationwide, including President Bola Tinubu.

At the ABLI initiative, with the theme: ‘Value-based leadership model for Africa,’ which attracted several African and European leaders as well as global Christian leaders, Obasanjo likened Gowon to the late British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who he described as an unsung hero as he was not given any recognition despite his show of patriotism and military feats.

He said Churchill was eventually honoured with a ‘Man of the Century’ award in recognition of his political relevance and military achievement in his twilight.

He said, “Only a few leaders get appreciated in their lifetime. General (Gowon), I envy you because you are appreciated in your lifetime. That, too, is the grace of God in your life.

“You are like (Winston) Churchill. He fought in the night, on the sea, and for the British Empire. In the end, he was unrecognised, called a warmonger, and even voted out of the Parliament.

“But before he died, he was named ‘Man of the Century.’ He was appreciated.

“Many leaders may not be appreciated, including our Lord Jesus Christ and almost all his disciples. Many of them died in circumstances that are unbefitting of the way a leader should die.

“So if a leader expects praises, adorations, and adulations from human beings, he will be utterly disappointed. But God takes care of leaders.

Speaking on the ongoing wars across the nations of the world, Obasanjo lamented that almost half of the countries in the world were at war.

He said, “Experts said we have 58 wars going on in the world today and 92 countries involved directly or indirectly.

“That is half of the countries in the world. Yet, they said we have no third World War. So what do we do?”

The former president raised concerns over the decline in leadership on the global stage, expressing disappointment that the present crop of leaders merely acted on intuitions.

He noted that several state actors had also developed a penchant for dabbling in important leadership matters about which they had little or no idea.

A former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, shared his sentiment.

Gana drummed up support for effective leadership, saying “Africa is in dire need of one.”

He said, “In a world characterised by unprecedented challenges and complexities, Africa stands at a critical juncture. The need for visionary, ethical, and value-based leadership has never been more urgent.

“The future of Africa hinges on our ability to cultivate leaders who are not only competent, compassionate, and committed to the well-being of the ordinary citizens in our various countries,” he said.