A former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd), on Tuesday in Abuja donated N3 billion as the Chief Presenter at the public presentation of the autobiography of former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd).
A former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (retd) represented Danjuma at the event.
Also, the Founder/Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, supported the book launch with a donation of N500 million.
Vice President Kashim Shettima who represented President Bola Tinubu, top government officials, members of Diplomatic Corps, and military top brass attended the presentation of the 20-Chapter autobiography, titled, My Life of Duty and Allegiance.
Apart from the financial pledge, Danjuma directed that 12 copies of the book be purchased and distributed to the libraries of each of the 20 universities that had awarded honorary doctorate degrees to Gowon over the years.
Danjuma paid tribute to Gowon at the event, saying the former Head of State was Nigeria’s foremost living statesman, an international icon, and a wartime commander whose leadership prevented Nigeria from disintegration.
“Gen. Gowon is not only a household name in Nigeria but also a globally acknowledged leader with an impeccable record in leadership, nation-building and military strategy.
“His well-recorded slogan of ‘no victor, no vanquished’ after the civil war set the tone for an effective post-war policy of reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation,” Danjuma said.
He said his friendship with Gowon spanned over 70 years, dating back to their childhood days in the Wusasa area of Zaria, adding that the memoir is a “treasure trove of history” and a gift to the world.
Similarly, the representative of Dangote, Mansur Ahmed, announced the purchase of 25 copies of the book for N500 million to honour Gowon.
Ahmed, a Senior Adviser to Dangote, his boss, Dangote was only a 10-year-old primary school pupil when Gowon was leading the nation through its most turbulent times.
According to him, Gowon successfully ensured that Nigeria remained unified which created the stable environment that allowed Dangote to grow up and build a pan-African business empire.
Other corporate leaders and dignitaries also made substantial purchases of the book at the event, including the President of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul-Samad Rabiu, who obtained copies of the book for N25 million.
The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Kukah, reviewed the book.
