Fmr. Pres. Jonathan's Speech @ The Book Presentation Of Gen Yakubu Gowon (Life Of Duty & Allegiance)

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:00]Thank you. Please be seated. Please be seated.

[00:00:05]>> With the vice president has actually asked that you use his podium. Please, if you don't mind, sir. That's humility personified. Ladies and gentlemen, another round of applause for his excellency. Thank you, sir.

[00:00:20]Uh, excellency vice president, thank you for the honor. You asked me to come and use your podium. Thank you so much. I will not go through a formal protocol uh because of time. But let me sincerely appreciate the presence of our president and commanderin-chief here ablely represented by his excellency the vice president. Thank you for coming. And let us let me also appreciate the presence of our first lady here represented by the wife of the chief of staff to the president. Thank you for coming. And let me also appreciate our leader, our father that brought us here, General Yakuban and our mommy.

[00:01:05]Thank you for doing what you have done for your leadership. Let me also appreciate our father, my uncle, our leader, General Abu Salami Abubaka. Thank you for your leadership.

[00:01:21]My dear wife, thank you for coming. I remember And uh uh let me also appreciate one of our leaders that's not here in person IB represented by the daughter. Uh I shall thank you for coming to represent my big uncle.

[00:01:48]There are so many senior people here retired and serving generals, traditional rulers, religious leaders.

[00:01:55]Well, let me appreciate the person directly in front of me the Sultan of Sooto. Thank you for coming and my good friend Deia of Cano Sanosi Lano Sanosi.

[00:02:09]Thank you.

[00:02:12]In fact, they have recognized everybody.

[00:02:14]So, let me know you're here to go through that protocol. It is my pleasure and honor to be addressing this distinguished gathering today as chairman of the public presentation of the autobiography of one of Nigeria's most consequential national figures his excellency general Yakobu Goan. I warmly welcome your excellencies, former heads of state, former presidents and leaders in all sphere of life, government, military, business for coming to celebrate SAN.

[00:02:57]Today's event is not merely the unveiling of a book.

[00:03:02]It is the presentation of a living testimony.

[00:03:06]It is the reflections of a leader who stood at the center of some of the defining moments in our national journey. General's autobiography offers not only a personal account of military service and leadership but also valuable insights into the challenges of nation reconciliation, peace building and statemanship.

[00:03:34]General Awans assumed leadership at a particularly turbulent period in Nigeria's history. Of course, so many people could be good leaders when the environment is okay. Is when you have challenges that you can disuse the men from the voice.

[00:03:56]So, General Goan at a very young age led this country when we had a major civil war that is still haunting us till today.

[00:04:07]The years of the civil war from 1967 to 1970 remain among the most painful chapters of our national experience. Yet history also records his commitment to the preservation of national unity and perhaps most importantly his magnanimity at the end of this conflict embodied in the enduring declaration of no victor no vanquish.

[00:04:39]That philosophy laid the foundation for healing, reconstruction, and reintegration at a time when bitterness and division could easily have prevailed.

[00:04:53]And of course, we all remember General Gwan. Every leader, if anybody who have the opportunity to become the president of a country will be remembered from one thing or the other. But there are two key things that will remember leaders.

[00:05:06]policies that endure, policies that reform society, policies that change things, then of course major infrastructure.

[00:05:18]But policies are number one. I would not bore you. That will be the duty of uh my good friend Bishop Cooker who will review the book and give us account of what General Guan did. But he did a number of things in Nigeria. The establish establishment of the NYC was one key policy that till today we are celebrating it and I have to thank the leadership of the NYC because whenever General has a program I used to see the youth copers coming around to celebrate him that is a very good idea we don't have to wait on until when somebody dies before we celebrate him the youth call was meant to configure our nation, reorientate our young people so we begin to live as one Nigeria though we have not succeeded because when I listen to some of us who are politicians we talk as if we are still in pre914 era but you tried I remember 1973 I was in class 3 in secondary school when you set up the NYC and that in those days middle after the civil was always difficult to get graduate teachers to teach in secondary schools especially the secondary schools that were not in the cities and two youth coers that were sent to mad school then one Mr. Balogan and one Mr. Ojuku taught me I remember Balugu taught us mathematics additional mathematics physics and chemistry where Balogan taught us uh biology and it helped us significantly.

[00:07:01]So the vision of the NYC was great and we will continue to celebrate you.

[00:07:09]The other one is that when you work with your colleagues to establish the Equas the vision of EQAS luckily the president of Equas is also here with us these are policies that will continue to reform society these are policies that will endure we can go on and on state and others but I don't want to Mr. cookers should tell lots of stories, but you have done very very well and we must commend you.

[00:07:41]As younger generation study our nation's history, it's important that they hear directly from those who bore the burden of leadership during difficult times.

[00:07:54]Memoirs such as these help preserve institutional memory, deepen public understanding, and enrich the national conversation on governance and leadership.

[00:08:06]Beyond his years in office, General Guan has continued to distinguish himself through decades of public service and advocacy for peace.

[00:08:18]His commitment to national unity, interfaith harmony and youth development has remained steadfast long after leaving office. Through initiatives such as Nigeria praise and other peace building engagement, he has demonstrated that true leadership does not end with political authority alone. It continues in service to humanity.

[00:08:46]This auto autobiography therefore come at a at the most appropriate time in our history. Across the world today, nations are confronted by division, mistrust, insecurity, and political polarization.

[00:09:04]There is much that contemporary leaders and future generations can learn from the experience captured in this book, especially the virtues of patience, restraint, dialogue, courage, and reconciliation.

[00:09:22]I commend General Yakubwan for documenting his experiences and reflecting for posterity. Took off on valuable chapters of our national history are lost because those who witness them firsthand failed to leave behind written accounts.

[00:09:41]Just like uh my friend said, if the lion doesn't tell his own story, it is only the story of the hunter that we will celebrate.

[00:09:51]By sharing his story, General has rendered here yet another important service to Nigeria and to the historical records of Africa. I believe this is a depth I also owe Nigerians and humanity.

[00:10:06]Maybe someday it will be my turn to also launch my biography.

[00:10:14]As I conclude, let me congratulate the publishers, editors, researchers, family members, and all those who those whose efforts made this work possible.

[00:10:27]Distinguished leaders and gentlemen, books preserve memory, but they also shape the future. I have no doubt that this autobiography will become an important resource for scholars, policy makers, military officers, students and all Nigerians that are interested in understanding the complex society and how to navigate our country forward. On behalf of all of us here, because I'm the chairman, I congratulate his excellency General Yakub Guan on this landmark achievement and pray that almighty God continue to grant him strength, peace, and good health. It is it is now my singular honor and privilege to declare this ceremony open.

[00:11:22]I thank you all.