Former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon said on Wednesday in Kafanchan, Kaduna State he narrowly missed the helicopter that crashed killing Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and ex-National Security Adviser Andrew Azazi in Bayelsa State on Saturday.
Four others also died in the crash.
Gowon said this during a Special Service Session to mark the 50th birthday of Apostle Emmanuel Kure of Throney in Broom Ministry, Kafanchan.
He said, “As we were with the aide to the President to pay our condolences, they were arranging a Navy helicopter to take us to Yenogoa (with Yakowa). But, another helicopter was arranged for me and five others. And that was it.
“So when I heard about this accident, it really pained me. And I want to say, well, you can never tell with some of these things. It was an accident. Don’t impugn any meaning to it. Don’t say that it was planned to get rid of some people or something like that.
“It was an accident, yes. There was this young pilot of the helicopter, who came to me after another helicopter was found for us, and he said to me, ‘Sir, but I was all ready to take you to Yenagoa as part of my duty today’. And I said to him, ‘don’t worry, there will be another time. I really hope I will have the pleasure of flying with you again’.
“These were nice innocent people. Something, probably mechanical, went wrong to have caused the accident. So it was not a plan to get rid of the governor for whatever any reason people want to guess.
“When, on Sunday, I saw the governor (Mukhtar Yero), I said, ‘I hope you will continue with the good work that your late governor was doing. It was the two of you that were doing the work. You were working to bring peace to Kaduna State. I hope you will do something about this madness alluded to Boko Haram, which, unfortunately is being alluded to Muslims’.”
Also speaking on the occasion, Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang said Yakowa lived for the service of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Fadan Kagoma village, in Jema’a Local Government Council, birthplace of the late Yakowa, is to receive his remains today (Thursday). Fadan Kagoma is about 230km away from Kaduna city.
At the Yakowa country home, workers were seen putting finishing touches to the grave he will be buried.
One of the leaders in the village, who would not want his names in print, said,“Our village is going to witness the greatest gathering it has ever seen, but for a sad reason. We are expecting the President to land in this village by helicopter tomorrow (today).”
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Only God knows......
ReplyDeleteBless his Holy name.amen
BoKo haram should not alluded to muslims because' this Evil peoples are not practicing Islam as a religion thanks'
ReplyDeleteBut they call themselves muslims,many of their suppoters and sympsthizers are muslims... and no muslim leader has deemed it fit to issue a fatwa on them! Look at the world map. In most of the places where there is prolonged violence, the perpetrators proclaim to be muslims...even when the violent acts are against other muslims! So dont deceive yourself. There is something in Islam that grows violence which is absent in other world religions- hinduism, bhudism, christianity etc. The truth is that majority of the so called moderate muslims recognize these violent groups as one of their own. Otherwise. Why dont we see massive demonstrations from them whenever these people portray or paint Islam in this violent colors as we see when a simple drawing of their prophet is made in one obscure corner of the world?
ReplyDeletegud talk bro
DeleteMat d Lord help us all. Amen
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 8:58AM
ReplyDeleteU are completely right.I ve bin saying this all this while, wheneva a Muslim says Boko Haram is NOT Islamic,this is what i normally say.Let the Muslim faithfuls come out to protect,gather or release provocation on Boko Haram after every bombing,but,you will never hear a word from them.Who is fooling who?I know,i'm not a fool neither 'Mumu'. No one can fight or kill for God,He can fight for Himself and He doesn't beg for support from mortal being.
All these violent acts have always come from muslim factions all over the world.
ReplyDeleteMAY HIS GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE,FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL GOVERNOR LIKE YAKOWA.
ReplyDeletemay his gentle soul rest in perfect peace, Amem.
ReplyDeleteGOVERNOR YAKOWA MA YOUR GENTLE SOUL REST IN PEACE.
ReplyDelete