Alhaji Musa Saidu, an Arewa leader in the South, has criticized the attack on former military Head of State of Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon, rtd., over a recent comment he made in the presidential palace while visiting President Bola Tinubu.
Saidu said it was outrageous that some people had gone to social media to criticize Dr. Gowon, and that the east’s leadership should persuade their sons and daughters to stop it.
He stated that while a group of Ohaneze and the Indigenous People of Biafra launched a media attack in their own publications, calling on Gowon to, among other things, apologize for the civil war, it was also vital that they cease it immediately.
The Arewa leader claimed that some Igbos were overheating the political system by heaping insults on Gowon.
Saidu, the son of a soldier who participated in the Nigerian civil war, stated that Gowon did not declare war on the Nigerian state, and that the former Head of State just acted to maintain the country’s unity.
” The attack on General Gowon is getting out of hand. Gowon only protected the country from disintegration. Gowon did not start the war against Nigeria. He only defended the unity of the country as Head of State which any patriotic leader would do.
“What has Gowon done that even in TikTok they are insulting him. The insult is too much. I saw a girl half naked insulting Gowon on TikTok. This should stop. Enough is enough.
“Why is it that Yakubu Gowon made a statement and he should be attacked. We have gone beyond where some of our Igbo brothers want to drag us to. We all should begin to focus on building our dear country Nigeria.”
He also commended a group BRAC coastal aborigines, in the South south led by Doris McDaniels for speaking against the media attack.
Saidu further commended the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, for yielding to appeal by the former Head of State, Gowon that they lift sanctions imposed on Niger republic, Burkina Faso and Mali.