Treason: Gowon reveals why he released Awolowo from Calabar Prison

…How HID persuaded Awolowo to serve my government, by ex-HofS

http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Gowon-left-with-Dr.-Tokunbo-Dosunmu-Awolowo-and-a-leader-of-Celestial-Church-at-the-Awolowo-Ikenne-home-on-Thursday..jpg

 

NIGERIA: EX-MILITARY Head of State, retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on Thursday revealed why he hurriedly released the first and former Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, from Calabar Prison where he was serving jail terms for treasonable felony.

Gowon, who ruled Nigeria between August 1966 and July 1975 before he was outsed in a military coup, disclosed that he released Awolowo in order to ensure peace in the old Western Region of the country, which was in turmoil during the “Operation Wetie”.

Gowon spoke with reporters after he paid condolence visit to the Awolowo family in Ikenne, Ogun State, over the demise of the wife of the late sage, Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo.

“It was my fortune and I thank God that it was me that had the opportunity to release Papa from prison from Calabar to Lagos and certainly to be able to help us have peace in the West at that time,” Gowon who went into exile in UK after his government was overthrown by the late Gen. Murtala Mohammed-led military regime said.

“And then we came, Mama was very happy and very grateful for what has happened.  And I can assure that is what earned me the respect of Mama right throughout her life. But yes, what we did was alright.”
The former military leader praised the late wife of Awolowo, saying that she was the person who persuaded her husband to join his government, which he served as Federal Commissioner for Finance and Vice President of the Federal Executive Council.

Said Gowon: “But yes, what we did was alright, there was also a need to get Papa involved and that would probably seal what we wanted to achieve, especially in the West, which was at the time pretty dicey.

“You’d remember ‘Operation Wetie’ and then the coup and what not.  So we had to seek Mama’s support to see if we can get Papa to come and join the government to help and of course, our hope was that when that happened we would be able to finish as quickly as possible so that we can return to democracy.”
“Yes, we really pleaded with Mama; she was the one who encouraged Papa to accept that invitation and so, for that, we ever remain grateful to her for what she did,” Gowon added.  “You know what happened after then; we had government not totally military, but with some political juggernauts, as the saying goes, and we were able to start in making a move towards returning to normalcy.”
He further said: “Let me tell you this; it was not easy. When I became Head of State, I hoped that three months, six months the most, we would be done. But when you have problems in a nation, it is not easy to do them overnight.  So, you’ve always got to give time and you’ve got to be patient for leaders to be able to get things in order.”
On the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the ex-military ruler said: “Whenever any government comes in, give them time to be able to really put things right. Nigeria is not an easy place to govern.  I can assure (you that) there are as many problems as there are Nigerians in the world and everybody wants to do things in a particular way, in his own way and probably for his own interest. And you think of that, how are you going to get all that put together and put things right?”
Gowon added: “I think we’ve got to be patient and then we got to cooperate with the government to do the right thing. Always never be tired in telling the government what needed to be done in order to improve things.”
He stated that the late Premier of the defunct Western Region and his wife could not be separated in nation building with the roles they played in the annals of Nigeria.
“In paying condolence to Mama, you cannot do it without really mentioning Papa,” he said, adding: “And of course, you know that Papa was very instrumental to some of our successes in government in those days.”