According to former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), the Igbos are still marginalised. Notably, it was during Yakubu Gowon’s regime that the bloody civil war took place.
The 85-year-old who served from 1966 through 1975 made this proclamation at a public event organised by Igbo Leadership Development Foundation.
Gowon who has represented by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, called for the adoption of appropriate measures to heal the pains of the Igbos.
“I believe that a lot of injustice has been done to the Igbo and a constitutional debate on restructuring must address all imbalances and restore hope and confidence,” Vanguard quoted the former Head of State as saying.
“Nigeria is big enough for all of us and I believe that the Ndigbo, Middle belt and the Yoruba are the true Nigerians because if you look round our borders, people came from abroad and are still coming but Ndigbo’s have always been there, middle belt have always been there, even Yoruba have always been there.
“People who came in yesterday who have a duty of respect are now the ones talking. Going forward, we must create a federal democracy that will respond positively to all the aspirations of our people, not about East-West but all about working together in equality, bringing in the youths and the women to build a new Nigeria,” he added.
The retired general also went on the state that Igbos being part of Nigeria isn’t a mistake; it is god-ordained.
Gowon has been outspoken about his desire to see an Igbo person become president of Nigeria. In January, he had an interview with BBC Hausa, where he declared that there’s no problem if power shifts to the south-east in the upcoming 2023 general elections.
