By: Tim Etoh ACIA
Renowned leadership trainer and author of many books on leadership and management, John C. Maxwell, asserts that integrity is the touchstone of leadership.” To him, the final proof of the sincerity and seriousness of a true leader is the uncompromising emphasis on integrity of character, founded on truth, fairness, and justice.
Also, renowned ancient Chinese warrior-philosopher Sun Tzu asserts that a leader/general who delegates authority to his unit commander to do battle, must accept responsibility for the outcome of the operations because, in principles, while authority can be delegated, responsibility cannot. The buck always ends on the leader’s desk.
The above assertions by the mentioned authorities, Maxwell and Tzu underscore the penchant criticisms which have been trailing the memoir of former Nigerian military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon.
Recall that recently, the wartime military henchman launched his memoir of what he believes and wants the world to believe happened during Nigeria’s turbulent political period of 1966, leading to the civil war and after.
To the surprise and disappointment of many discerning Nigerians, 94 years old Pa Yakubu Gowon resurfaced in the Nigerian socio-political environment, 56 years after the avoidable fratricidal war in which many believed he failed to stop by asserting his leadership.
His long-awaited memoir has been gaining controversial traction due to his failure to exhibit remorse, act of contrition and accepts leadership responsibility for the non-implementation of Aburi Accord, Asaba Massacre, Twenty Pounds premeditated strangulation of Easterners and other atrocities committed by his soldiers against defenseless civilians including women and children.
Most critics who claim to have read the book and compered the content with those of other authors like Fredrick Forsyth, Chinua Achebe, madiebo and others, consider the book as an instrument to distort the true event of the war, extricate leadership responsibility for Pa Gowon’s self-justification and preservation.
If Pa Yakubu Gowon had been a student of Maxwell and Tzu, he would have known that his memoir titled, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, he would have known that it more than exposed not only his leadership failures then, as the Head of State, but also his inability to improve his leadership, 59 years after.
In the book Pa Yakubu Gowon brazenly presented himself as someone who watched the scene from outside instead as a key protagonist. He did not accept responsibility for jettisoning the much talked about Aburi Accord of January 4-5, 1967 in Ghana to resolve the crises after 1966 coup and the subsequent issues. The accord proposed a loose confederation and greater regional autonomy. The opaque reason given for jettisoning the accord is that, it bore more of Ojukwu’s ideas. Ojukwu made it clear in his book, Because I Was Involved that, ‘’what I have been trying to point out is that, Nigeria is a country of many differences, randomly put together and handed over to a nationally inept elite at independence. Nigeria, he continued is a virulent nation that has defied cure because; the right medication has not been applied. The effect of Shibboleth called dichotomy is so very well known that it has become a cancer in our body politics. Because we have found no cure and because we seek no cure, it continues to spread thereby, enhancing its virulence. Most Nigerians now believe that if the Aburi Accord had been implemented by the military junta of Yakubu Gowon, there would have been no war and Nigeria would have prospered exponentially. Blaming Ojukwu after he had declared to the world that, ‘’on Aburi we stand’’ is holds no water; the buck is on Gowon’s table. The truth is that, while then Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon and his team went to Aburi, Ghana to look for who was wrong, Ojukwu went to look for what was right for Nigeria – CONFEDERATION.
Contrary to what some people had wanted us to believe, Ojukwu never called for the breakup of Nigeria. He explained it in a letter he sent to Gowon in 1967: …’’ it has always been my genuine desire to keep this country in existence’’.’’ I believe the country should exist as one in a realistic form of association. Since that wish cannot be fulfilled, the responsibility is yours and history will know where to lay the blame.
