Inside Nigeria
Gowon: Why I Created 12 States
...Says He's irrevocably committed to Nigeria's unity.
For the umpteenth time, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), has restated why his military government decided to create 22 states on May 5,1967.
In a move widely believed to check the influence of the government of Colonel Odumegwu in the Eastern Region, General Gowon had, on May 5, 1967, announced the division of the three Nigerian regions into 12 states,.namely: North-Western State, North-Eastern state, Kano State, North-Central State, Benue-Plateau State, Kwara State, Western State, Lagos State, Mid-Western State, and, from Ojukwu’s Eastern Region- Rivers State, South-Eastern State, and East-Central State.
General Gowon, who ruled Nigeria from 1966 to 1975, once again defended the action, when the League of Northern Democrats (LND), led by
Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, visited him at the Yakubu Gowon Centre in Abuja.
He declared that the move was aimed at dousing regional tensions and addressing fears of northern domination over other parts of the country.
Emphasizing that his primary motivation was the preservation of national unity, Gowon said: “My position has always been that whatever the north does must serve the greater interest of Nigeria.”
The creation of states, he further stated, was a product of wide-ranging consultations with political leaders, chiefs, and various groups, all of whom recognized the need for a more balanced federation.
“It was for this reason that I supported the creation of multiple states, to prevent any one region from becoming too powerful and threatening the country’s unity,” Gowon said.
He recalled the tension that gripped Nigeria at the time, a situation compounded by calls for secession.
“At that time, there was considerable anxiety from the south about the north’s dominance, which nearly led to calls for secession from all regions—the west, the east, and even the north,” he recounted.
“’This deeply worried me. I was born in Nigeria, raised in Nigeria, and served a profession that represented the country’s collective interest. My decision to advocate for states’ creation stemmed from a desire to prevent the fragmentation of our nation.”
Tossing the other side of the coin, Gowon reflected on the dire consequences that the country would suffered, if his administration had not done what it did.
“If we had allowed it,” Gowon pondered, “what would we call ourselves today? We might have ended up with separate nations—whether Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, or otherwise.”
The former Head of State maintained that he remains non-partisan but resolutely committed to Nigeria’s unity and cohesion as a nation.
“My profession shaped my belief in serving the country above all else, and I’ve avoided partisan politics,” he said.
Gowon advised leaders to focus on the country’s unity rather than regional or sectional interests.
