Former Nigeria military leader, General Yakubu Gowon, has appealed to Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu more time to deliver dividends of democracy to the citizenry.
Gowon, who spoke with newsmen yesterday after meeting with Tinubu at State House, Abuja, said the relatively new government at the centre was doing its best to solve the country’s problems.
The meeting between the former head of state and the president was the first since Tinubu assumed office nine months, on May 29, 2023.
Gowon told Tinubu not to be discouraged by the criticisms of his government.
He said he was also criticised over the Nigerian Civil war, when he was Head of State in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Gowon stated, “I was telling the president that no Nigerian leader that can get there and will not have all the report of what is being said about him.
“But certainly, there’s no doubt, from what one hears and what one sees on the various media etc., I think the government is trying their best to deal with the various problems of the country. Don’t worry, you will get criticised but people who get there know better than you know.
“I think all what one can say is that Nigerians, we’ve got to give the president time to get things really done. And it is too early to sort of say absolute result, perfect result will be achieved now. That is my opinion.
“I know and 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.”
The former head of state also disclosed that he discussed the current challenges facing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with Tinubu and the need to resolve them.