A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) on Tuesday met with President Muhammadu Buhari inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Issues discussed by the two leaders included the fate of the school girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists from Chibok, Borno State in 2014, the President’s ongoing anti-corruption war and the resurgent militancy in the Niger Delta.
Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Gowon explained that he used the meeting to pay his respect to the President and inform him of his plan to travel out of the country on holiday as well as for his programme, Nigeria Prays, holding in the United States and the United Kingdom.
On the ongoing prosecutions of corruption cases, he expressed optimism that Nigerians would soon be seeing results, noting that corruption was one of the major factors creating serious setback for the country.
He said, “I have come to pay my respect to Mr. President and to let him know that I will be going out of the country on holiday and for my programme, Nigeria Prays, in the US and UK.
“We had cause to discuss the general affairs of the country, the problems we have in the country and his fight against corruption.
“The expectation of the public is that they want to see result, though no one has been found guilty. We believe that will soon begin.”
While speaking on the abducted Chibok girls, the former military leader stated that government was committed to ensuring that a number of the girls were rescued.
He said, “You know the current situation of the Chibok girls and the government is trying to get really credible information about them.
“The government is certainly determined to ensure that a number of the girls are brought back home as soon as possible.
“What has brought me is about the general situation of the country and what the President is doing to give the people what they want.” Gowon, who reminded Nigerians that there had been a sharp reduction in the nation’s resources because of the drop in oil price and production, was upbeat that government’s efforts at making lives better for the people would soon be yielding fruit.
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