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Why I Chose Abuja As Nigeria’s New Capital City – Gowon

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-Former military president Yakubu Gowon explains factors that influenced his decision to choose Abuja as Nigeria’s capital city.

-A call has also been made by the FCT minister, Mohammed Bello for government to seek other options to finance infrastructural developments of the FCT.

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I loved Jos but had to choose Abuja as Nigeria’s capital.

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd),  yesterday revealed thoughts that guided his decision to pick Abuja as Nigeria’s capital city, twenty six years ago.

He also said as the Commander-in-Chief, he had the option of making Jos, and not Abuja, the capital of Nigeria but refused to do so because people might link his decision to sentimental and selfish reasons.

He said though he loved the part of Jos where he saw, he did not allow personal interest to override national interest.

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Gowon, made the disclosure when he spoke at the 26th anniversary exhibition and commemoration of the movement of the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja, organized by the Federal Capital Territory Archives and History Bureau in Abuja yesterday.

According to him, the idea of moving from Lagos to Abuja was conceived by his government in 1974, and that those who were passionate about the ideas, such as the late General Murtala Mohammed, continued with the project after he left government.

He noted that the first place he found that looked strategic and beautiful for the capital of Nigeria was Jos in Plateau State, adding, however, that he could not sustain his thought on it because he didn’t want to be accused of parochial and favouritism.

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He said: “One of the places I saw that attracted me was somewhere in Plateau, those of you who know the place, especially close to Jos forest, will agree that the area is beautiful and I thought that place was beautiful for the capital city.

” But I did not make that choice because I would have been accused of parochialism and favoritism, because it was very close to my original place where I come from. So I said no , I must look at other places.

‘’The search for a new capital took me round the north west, and in my state, I continued to look for other places. When I came to Abuja, I was attracted.”

Gowon, however, lamented that despite being the initiator of the idea that gave birth to the present Federal Capital Territory, successive governments marginalized him by not naming any street after him until he officially complained to former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).

“I had to officially complain to General Ibrahim Babangida when he was the Military President, that I have been excluded from getting a street named after me in Abuja, while all other members of the military council who nurtured the idea, had got streets name after them,’’ he said.

He added that he instructed Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who was his Minister of Finance, to set aside funds from the excess funds for the purpose of actualizing the dream of moving the nation’s capital from Lagos to Abuja.

Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Mohammad Bello, who was represented at the event by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Christian Ohaa, noted that the developmental requirements of Abuja infrastructure could no longer be sustained through government funding alone urging the government to consider other options in developing the city.

” It is important that we note that the current system of funding infrastructure through statutory allocation is, indeed, not sustainable. ‘’This is because the fund is no longer there. Government has done so much to drive development and brought the city to this point. The time has come for the private sector to drive the new process,’’ he said.