{"id":6768,"date":"2025-06-08T10:55:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T10:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/?p=6768"},"modified":"2025-06-08T10:55:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T10:55:58","slug":"biafra-civil-war-was-not-my-choice-but-to-preserve-national-unity-gowon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/2025\/06\/08\/biafra-civil-war-was-not-my-choice-but-to-preserve-national-unity-gowon\/","title":{"rendered":"Biafra Civil War Was Not My Choice, But To Preserve National Unity\u2013 Gowon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has said the Biafra civil war was never his choice.<\/p>\n

Gowon was presiding over the affairs of Nigeria during the civil war from July 6, 1967, to January 15, 1970.<\/p>\n

He described the civil war as the most difficult period of his life.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The former ruler spoke after he was honoured with a Lifetime Integrity and Achievement Award at the 5th Convention of the Christian Men\u2019s Fellowship, Abuja Anglican Diocese, on Saturday in Abuja.<\/p>\n

He also disclosed that his decision to prosecute the Biafra civil war was never born out of hatred.<\/p>\n

Gowon explained that he prosecuted the civil war due to the urgency to preserve national unity.<\/p>\n

The former ruler called for forgiveness, reconciliation and unity across faiths and ethnicities.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cI always remember the Civil War. It was the most difficult period of my life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not my choice, but I had to be there and had to do what I did to keep this country together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was never a hatred against any people, I can assure you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on life after that period, the former Head of State stressed that his decisions had often been guided by prayers and a desire to act with integrity and compassion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as this heart is concerned, everything that I do it is through prayers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ask God to help me to do the right thing the way He thinks it should be done, with love and respect for all the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why, in the end, what do we have to say? As they say: no victor, no vanquished,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has said the Biafra civil war was never his choice. Gowon was presiding over the affairs of Nigeria during the civil war from July 6, 1967,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6769,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t