Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
Gowom rebuffs UK lawmaker’s claims that he looted national treasury
By Emmanuel Awosika
Former Military Head of State Yakubu Gowon has denied allegations that he embezzled money during his time in office.
A member of the UK Parliament, Tom Tugendhat, alleged that the former military president looted half of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Reacting to the allegation, Gowon expressed disappointment that a British lawmaker made statements without resorting to facts.
“It is certainly surprising, and I am disappointed that a British parliamentarian could make such a statement without checking the facts of what he was saying.
“I honestly was disappointed that such a remark is made,” the former military leader said in a telephone interview with Channels TV on Thursday.
Gowon, who was military president from 1966 to 1975, said reports accusing him of looting the nation’s coffers were fabricated.
Gowon maintained that he had nothing to hide, saying the UK was free to go through his records.
He called on the UK government to make steps to correct the situation. According to him, the lawmaker’s false claim amounted to an insult against him and the nation of Nigeria.
He said: “The record of my service to the nation is there for everybody to see and even the British government itself, and I don’t know why somebody got the information to make such a very ridiculous statement.
“I am disappointed with that one and I hope the British authority will do something to rightly bring that parliamentarian to order to check his facts before he makes such allegation because it is more or less an insult to the leadership of Nigeria and certainly an insult to me to say that I did something of the sort to take half of Nigeria’s Central Bank and I must have put it in a British bank.”
