Gowon’s Civil War Words Renew Call for National Healing

General Yakubu Gowon

During the 5th Convention of the Christian Men’s Fellowship of the Anglican Diocese of Abuja, 91-year-old General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s former military Head of State, received an award for integrity and service. But it wasn’t the award that made headlines it was his emotional and honest reflection on a war that nearly tore Nigeria apart.

“The Civil War was the most difficult period of my life. It was not my choice, but I had to be there and do what I did to keep this country together,” Gowon said, his voice heavy with decades of memory.

It was a powerful moment one where Nigeria's living history stood at a podium and pleaded with the future.

Gowon, who led Nigeria from 1966 to 1975, emphasized that his decisions during the conflict were not driven by ego, revenge, or tribalism—but by conviction rooted in prayer.

“As far as this heart is concerned, everything that I do, it is through prayers. I ask God to help me to do the right thing… with love and respect for all the people.”

This confession sharply contrasts with modern-day Nigerian leadership, where governance often appears divorced from ethical or spiritual grounding.

After the 30-month Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970, Gowon declared a policy of “No victor, no vanquished”. In Abuja, he echoed that same sentiment with renewed urgency:

“That is why at the end, what do we have to say? No victor, no vanquished.”

Yet for many Nigerians especially in the South-East the wounds of Biafra have never fully healed. Gowon’s recent statement may reopen dialogue on whether the spirit of “no victor, no vanquished” was ever truly realized.

General Gowon’s reflections come at a time when Nigeria is deeply polarized politically, ethnically, and religiously. His words carry three critical lessons:

1. Leadership Requires Sacrifice

Gowon didn’t glorify the war—he called it the darkest period of his life. This humility and burden-bearing stands in contrast to today’s chest-thumping political rhetoric.

2. Forgiveness Is a National Duty

Gowon’s empathy even toward those who took up arms serves as a call to release the chains of generational bitterness. Forgiveness, he implies, isn’t weakness. It’s strategy.

3. Unity Demands Justice, Not Silence

While forgiveness is vital, healing requires acknowledging past injustices. If Nigeria is to move forward, it must listen to the pain of its fractured regions, particularly Igboland.

Gowon’s voice rings louder in a nation still battling:

• Ethnic tensions and calls for secession

• Youth disillusionment with national identity

• Spiritual leaders speaking truth to power

His calm insistence that the war was never about hatred reminds us that division is not destiny.

It also comes amid renewed debates on restructuring, regional autonomy, and national reconciliation. Gowon is not just reminiscing he’s warning.

Gowon is 91. His days of executive authority are long gone. But his voice wise, reflective, unapologetically compassionate can still shape Nigeria’s soul.

His closing message?

“Pray for the country, love all people, forgive and move on.”

It’s now up to Nigeria’s youth, faith leaders, and policymakers to interpret those words not as a historical footnote, but as a living mandate.

General Gowon’s reflections are not just about the past. They are a mirror for the present and a blueprint for the future.

If we listen closely, we’ll hear more than a soldier’s burden we’ll hear a father pleading with his children to stop fighting, to remember they are family.

“It was never hatred.” Let those be the words that shape Nigeria’s tomorrow.

🖋️ By WorldWire News – History & Reconciliation Desk