Tsohon shugaban Najeriya na gwamnatin mulkin soja, Janar Yakubu Gowon (mai ritaya), wanda shi ne shugaban soja mafi daɗewa a raye a Najeriya, ya cika shekaru 92 da haihuwa a ranar 19 ga watan Oktoban nan, lamarin da ya jawo yabo da girmamawa daga sassan kasar.
Shugabanni daga sassa daban-daban na tarayyar Najeriya, ciki har da Gwamnan Jihar Filato, Caleb Mutfwang, sun bayyana tsohon shugaban kasar a matsayin “alamar haɗin kan ƙasa mai dorewa” da kuma “taskar hikima”.
An haifi Gowon a ranar 19 ga Oktoba, 1934. Ya jagoranci Najeriya a lokacin da ta fuskanci kalubale mafi tsanani a tarihinta, wanda ya haɗa da yaƙin basasar Najeriya na tsawon shekara uku.
Shekaru da dama bayan ya sauka daga mulki, kalaman da ya yi amfani da su bayan yakin na cewa “Babu wanda ya yi nasara, babu wanda aka ci da yaki” (No Victor, No Vanquished), har yanzu suna nan a matsayin ginshikin sulhu a kasar da ta fi kowacce yawan jama’a a Afirka.
Muhimman Abubuwa a Tarihin Rayuwarsa
Shugaban Kasa Mafi Karancin Shekaru: Ya karbi ragamar shugabancin Najeriya a ranar 1 ga Agusta, 1966, bayan juyin mulki na biyu. Ya hau karagar mulki yana da shekaru 31, wanda hakan ya sa ya zama mutum mafi karancin shekaru da ya taba jagorantar ƙasar.
Kare Haɗin kan ƙasa: Ya jagoranci ƙasar yayin yaƙin basasar Najeriya (1967–1970) domin hana rugujewar ta. A ƙarshen yakin, ya bayyana cewa “Babu wanda ya yi nasara, babu wanda aka ci da yaki,” tare da gabatar da tsarin nan na “3Rs” wato: Sulhu (Reconciliation), Sake Gina Kasa (Reconstruction), da Gyara ko Farfado da Rayuwa (Rehabilitation).
Daga shiyyoyi zuwa jihohi: A watan Mayun 1967, ya soke tsohon tsarin shiyyoyi (regions) sannan ya ƙirkiri jihohi 12. Wannan mataki ne da ya ɗauka domin raunana yunƙurin ɓallewa daga ƙasar da kuma ba ƙananan ƙabilu ƙarfi da damarmaki.
Kafa Shirin NYSC: Ya kafa shirin yi ma ƙasa hidima na matasa (National Youth Service Corps – NYSC) a shekarar 1973. An tsara shirin ne domin inganta fahimtar al’adu daban-daban, ƙarfafa hadin kan ƙasa, da kuma warkar da raunukan yaƙin a tsakanin matasan da suka kammala karatu.
Kafa ECOWAS: Ya taka rawar gani wajen haɗa kan yankin Afirka ta Yamma ta hanyar kafa ƙungiyar ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) a watan Mayun 1975, tare da haɗin gwiwar shugaban kasar Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadéma.
Rayuwa bayan mulki: Bayan an hamɓarar da shi a wani juyin mulki wanda ba a zubar da jini ba a shekarar 1975, ya samu digirin digirgir (PhD) a fannin Kimiyyar Siyasa daga Jami’ar Warwick.
A shekarar 1996, ya kafa ƙungiyar “Nigeria Prays” — wata ƙungiya mai zaman kanta — wadda ke fafutukar ganin an samu zaman lafiya a ƙasa tare da neman shiriya daga Allah.
To a wannan lokaci da ya cika shekara 92 a duniya, Janar Gowon ya ci gaba da kasancewa ginshiƙin bayar da shawara mai matukar muhimmanci; yana ba da gudummawar hikima ga gwamnatoci daban-daban, yayin da shi kansa ya kasance shaida ta kishin ƙasa da kuma hidima ga al’umma ba tare da son kai ba.
