It’s highly imperative for the former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon(rtd) to apologise to the people of the Southeast over his role in the Biafra Civil War, Nigeria’s major opposition party the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said.
The acting State Publicity Secretary of the
PDP in Abia, Abraham Amah, said this in a statement, on Thursday.
He said many people still bear the scars of
the 30-month-long fraternal war and are haunted by its memories.
He stated that Gowon’s name troubles a lot of
people in the Southeast due to his involvement in the Civil War.
Amah’s comments is coming on the heels of a
statement that Gowon, alongside the state governor-elect, Alex Otti, would lead
a prayer session in the state on Sunday.
The prayer session is scheduled to be held at
Master’s Vessel Church in Umuahia area of state.
The statement read: “The attention of the
Abia PDP has been drawn to a news item in circulation on social media
indicating that Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, would on
Sunday April 23 lead a prayer session in one Master’s Vessel Church Umuahia,
Abia State under the auspices of his pet project, Nigeria Prays, to herald a
new Abia. Whatever ‘a new Abia’ means.
“The name, Yakubu Gowon is unsettling to many
people in the South-East given the ignoble roles he played during the Biafran
Civil War for which he is yet to render any public apology.”
Amah said the choice of Gowon as special
guest in a state that is the home town of slain General Aguiyi Ironsi was
insensitive.
The PDP noted that Abia state had produced a
Catholic Bishop and other high-ranking clergymen.
It stressed that Gowon had yet to publicly
admit his mistakes in the Civil War.
Amah stated: “The only way the prayer session
would make meaning to the millions of Southeasterners, dead and alive, is for
Gowon to use the opportunity of the prayer session and convert it to a moment
of truth and apologise to the people for his role in the atrocious war that led
to the untimely death of millions of our very resourceful people,” he added
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