A member of UK Parliament, Tom Tugendhat, has accused Nigeria’s former head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) of stealing the country blind during his days as Head of State.
During a debate on the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria in the UK parliament, Tugendhat said the former leader took half of the country’s Central Bank to the UK after he left office.
“One of the best books in the English Language is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the great Nigerian writer. The beauty of that book is the way it explains the challenge of changing generations to live together.
“The way it speaks about values falling away and the community is being eroded by outside pressure. What we’re seeing in Nigeria today is part of that story.
“It’s a tragedy that we are watching. It’s a tragedy that we are all witnessing. The pressure this time is not foreign colonialism; the pressure instead is corruption and violence.
“We need to call out the corruption. We need to use the powers that we have in this country to stop those profiting from the wealth of that great nation and hiding it here.
“Some people will remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half the Central Bank and moved to London.
“We know that today, even now, in this great city of ours, there are, sadly, some people who have taken from the Nigerian people and hidden their ill-gotten gains here.
“We know that our banks, sadly, have been used for that profit and for that illegal transfer of assets.
“And that means the UK is in an enormous unique position in being able to do actually, something to exert pressure on those who have robbed the Nigerian people.”
Nigerians are, however, divided over Tugendhat’s comments with many saying that if the MP’s accusation is true, Gowon and other past leaders who have stolen from the country deserve no place in the nation’s history books.
“Nigerian Politicians are a good example that Karma is a scam. Gowon is enjoying Life; Babangida is having Fun; Obasanjo is cruising; Buhari is flexing life 3 decades after and Abacha would be cruising life if only he liked Android but Ken Saro Wiwa, Fela & Dele Giwa are Dead,” Odogwu said on Twitter.
According to them, Gowon cavorts with every government in power and has refused to speak up when things go awry, which is a sign that he is not clean.
Others took a swipe at the MP and other Nigerians who believed what Tugendhat said.
Social media influencer, Japhet Omojuwa said he does not believe the MP’s accusations.
“I am not a fan of Gen. Gowon. I think rather than use his influence & privilege to speak truth to power, he often rather chose to cosy up to every government of the day. But to say he stole half the CBN considering how he left office? That’s irrational. People gotta be reasonable,” Omojuwa said.
Nigerians asked Tugendhat to tell the UK government to repatriate every stolen wealth by past Nigerian leaders hidden in the UK if his assertions are not correct.
Gowon was Nigeria’s Head of State between 1966 and 1975. Gen. Murtala Mohammed overthrew him in a coup.
