A former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, on Thursday, said Nigeria, being a country with multiple ethnic diversity and sectional interests, is difficult to administer.
Gowon, while answering questions from newsmen in Ikenne, while on a condolence visit to the Awolowo family, said Nigerians should exercise patience with their leaders.
He urged Nigerians to make their demands known to government in order to improve things, saying he experienced difficult task in managing the country for three years.
He said: “Whenever any government comes in, give it time to be able to really put things right. Nigeria is not an easy country to govern.
“I can assure 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, in his own interest.
“And you think of that, how are you are going to get all that put together and put things right? I think we have got to be patient and then, we have to cooperate with the government to do the right thing.
“Let me tell you this; it was not easy. When I became head of state, I hoped that three months, six months at most, we would be done.
“But when you have problems in a nation, it is not easy to solve them overnight. So, you have always got to give time and you have got to be patient for leaders to be able to get things in order.”
