From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has congratulated former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), on the occasion of his 89th birthday anniversary.
Radda described Gowon as a legendary icon of peace and national unity, according to a statement on Thursday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed.
According to the statement, “on the occasion of the ex-Nigerian leader’s birthday, Governor Radda acknowledges the patriotic service Gowon rendered to Nigeria when he was Head of State between 1967 and 1975, and now as a distinguished elder statesman.
“The erstwhile Nigerian leader explicitly wrote his name in the sands of time as a visionary Head of State who helped chart a progressive course for the country some few years after Nigeria gained Independence and was battling with a myriad of developmental issues.
“Gowon’s invaluable contributions to the nation’s socio-economic growth and accelerated development will fondly be remembered by many Nigerians, generations to come.
“The former leader is not only revered in Nigeria but across Africa, for his relentless advocacy for peace and strengthening of democratic institutions and entrenchment of good governance.
“Gowon is not only a legendary icon of peace and national unity, he is also a foremost elder statesman who remains steadfastly committed to the Nigerian project.
“He is one prominent Nigerian who has always advocated for peace, unity and national integration.
“Nigerians still remember, with beautiful memories, how he healed the wounds and scars of our bleeding nation, at the wake of the civil war.
“Fifty years after he single-handedly established the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, to foster national unity and integration among Nigerian youths, the scheme remains a veritable tool of national development.
“It is my prayer that the Almighty will continue to enrich him with sound health, peace of mind and wisdom for the benefit of Nigerians and humanity at large.”