Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon on behalf of Nigerian Army apologized to the immediate family of late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Tafawa Balewa community, Bauchi state and Nigerians for the assassination of the first Nigeria’s Prime Minister late Sir Tafawa Balewa.
Gowon who was in Bogoro local government carved out of Tafawa Balewa LGA of Bauchi state at the weekend to Commission National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centre, regretted the assassination of the late Sir Tafawa Balewa and prayed God to grant his soul internal rest and continue to console the family he left behind and indeed Nigerians.
He described the assassination of Sir Tafawa Balewa as unfortunate and unethical as it was not the training of Nigerian soldiers but regretted that soldier assassinated him unjustly.
Gowon said: “I don’t know why the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) took us to the land of late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The man whom we the Nigerian soldiers killed and it was unfortunate and unethical because that was not the training of Nigerian soldiers.”
He said, “I sincerely apology on behalf of Nigerian soldiers for the killing of late Sir Tafawa Balewa and I have great respect for late Sir Tafawa Balewa whom was killed by us soldiers.”
The former military head of state, “It was unfortunate that we the Nigerian soldiers had to interfere with the democracy and even truncated the democracy. Accept our apology on behalf of Nigerian soldiers.
“I thank late Sir Tafawa Balewa for that entire he has done for Nigeria and where ever he may be today, I pray God Almighty to grant his soul internal rest.”
According to him, “Men of good character are trustful, while men of guns kill. We must do everything possible to raise the standard of education sector in order to produce men and women of good character because if we produce graduates with lack of good character, they will in the end be menace to the society.”
He applauded the first Nigerian Prime Minister for impacting knowledge on his students as a teacher saying that was what he stood for even as the Prime Minister until he was killed, which signpost the power of education.
-People’s Daily
