•Praises Gowon for restraining soldiers

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has given reasons why the Nigerian Army was ‘soft’ on Biafrans during the civil war. The president revealed that soldiers had strict and formal instructions to exercise restraint against Biafrans during the civil war of 1967-1970.

Buhari recalled that every military commander was issued instructions, in dispatches handed to them from then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, that the Biafrans were not enemies but brothers and sisters.
The president disclosed this at the Presidential Villa, yesterday, during his investiture as Grand Patron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), where he promised to assist the organisation secure permanent office accommodation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Buhari praised Gowon for that gesture and also, the role of the Red Cross in bringing succour to victims of the war, even in dangerous circumstances and noted that the pathetic pictures of war-ravaged Biafrans were always heartrending.

“Earlier in my profession, during the civil war, I know how much sacrifice members of the Nigerian Red Cross and their international counterparts did; both in the real front of operations and, at the rear, on both sides. I think it was a lot of sacrifices because anything could happen to you in the operational areas.

“The risks they faced were real and I admire their courage and commitment to helping people who were in distress and were virtually in millions. Those photographs of people from the Biafra enclave spoke a lot.
“I remember, with nostalgia, the performance of the Commander-in-Chief, General Gowon.

“Every commander was given a copy of the commander-in-chief’s instructions that, we were not fighting enemies but that we were fighting our brothers. And thus, people were constrained to show a lot of restraint. The international observer teams were allowed to go as far as possible within and outside the front and I think this was generous and very considerate of General Gowon. He is a highly committed Nigerian.”
On his promise to assist the organisation secure permanent office accommodation in Abuja, Buhari added: “I have taken note of your logistics especially your (request for) office here. I assure you that government will do its best when you decide to build such facilities in terms of securing an area here within the Federal Capital Territory and we hope you will not do the Nigerian ways of doing things.

“To use the words of a famous Nigerian minister ‘I hope you will not build an elephantine headquarters’ which is going to be functional because we have seen your activities throughout the country,” he said.
In his remarks, Head of the delegation  and NRCS National President, Chief Bolaji Anani, said the organization has over 800,000 trained volunteers based in communities across the 774 local government areas of the Federation.

He pleaded with the president to assent to the bill which seeks to amend the Red Cross Act of 1960, whenever the National Assembly gives its approval.

“A review is long overdue. We note with pleasure that the current National Assembly is in the process of doing that.

“In fact, the revision has already undergone public hearing. We hope when the revised bill is passed by the National Assembly, it will be to be graciously assented to by Mr. President,” he said.