Former Military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has expressed his belief that Nigeria would have experienced significant progress if late President Umaru Yar’adua had completed his tenure.
Gowon highlighted Yar’Adua’s achievements and contributions to Nigeria during his brief time in office. Speaking at the first President Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Leadership Conference and Awards organized by the Global Initiative for Leadership Success in Abuja on Monday, Gowon emphasized Yar’adua’s decision to grant amnesty to Niger Delta militants as a pivotal step towards revitalizing the country’s economy.
Yar’adua assumed office in 2007 but tragically passed away in 2010 due to health complications. Reflecting on Yar’adua’s tenure, Gowon praised his integrity, honesty, and commitment to addressing national issues with sincerity.
Gowon commended Yar’adua for his transparency in acknowledging the flaws in the electoral process that brought him to power and his subsequent efforts to address them through the establishment of a committee. Despite this, Gowon lamented that Yar’adua’s initiatives were not consistently upheld by subsequent leaders.
Gowon also lauded Yar’adua’s incorruptibility and the positive impact of his policies, particularly the amnesty program in the Niger Delta, which Gowon credited with safeguarding the nation’s economy. He emphasized Yar’adua’s unwavering dedication to tackling corruption and his overall clean governance style as essential contributions to Nigeria’s development.
