By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, resisted pressure to render a Hausa version of an address he delivered on Wednesday on the political situation in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso where he also spoke about the Nigeria/Biafra war.
Gowon addressed a world press conference shortly after meeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu where he urged leaders of ECOWAS to lift the sanction against the three countries now under military rule.
He also made comment about the Nigeria/Biafra.
Gowon said: “If I can remember, when I was fighting the war I was told I was too slow and that probably Nigeria cannot make it and that we should now seek for discussion. Well, did we do it or not? They probably do not know the problem underground so that is where we are.”
After reading the texts of his speech, the moderator of the press conference then announced that Gowon would make the same address in Hausa.
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An obviously shocked Gowon responded: “Wait a minute. Who told you that I’m going to do it in Hausa? My goodness! For almost eight to nine years, I have always been speaking mostly in English.”
A horde of people came to Gowon and telling him: “Your excellency you’re not reading.”
Others jumped in, pressuring the 89-year-old to summarise part of his address in Hausa.
But Gowon stood his ground: “This is an ambush. This is a coup. My goodness. Honestly, my Hausa is not good enough for me to say it in Hausa. If I’m taking to you person to person, whatever rubbish I say to you or use, you might accept. But to do this, no.”
Despite providing a reason why he could not make the address in Hausa, the pressure continues. “Just state your message to ECOWAS leaders,” one of those pressuring the former Head of State told Gowon in Hausa
Three others joined in the pressure, telling Gowon to state his message to ECOWAS leaders in Hausa.
An almost overwhelming Gowon, refused: “You people, I know you are very clever. You use whatever language it is to try to get one to speak. You can translate. I have forgotten how to do this.”