Obama To Deport Gowon’s Igbo Son Back To Nigeria: Igbo Mandate Congress Set To Welcome Him

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It has been brought to the notice of Igbo Mandate Congress, IMC by concerned Nigerians and Ndigbo in the United States that Mr Musa Gowon, the Igbo son of Nigeria’s former Head of Stat from 1966 to 1975, General Yakubu Gowon has been released from prison courtesy of the magnanimity of United States President Barrack Obama. Musa Gowon is now in the custody of the United States Immigration Agency and is set for deportation soon..

Musa Gowon was borne out of a courtship gone awryl relationship between former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, then a Lieutenant Colonel and an Igbo Girl by name Edith Ike-Okongwu while he was still a bachelor. This relationship between Gowon and Edith Ike ended in the heat of the civil war while the former was military Head of State. It is widely believed that the relationship broke off after Federal Troops bombed Aba General Hospital with NAF Napalm Bomb on July 14, 1968 killing most of the patients.

Edith was said to have expressed disapproval with Gowon over the deliberate bombing of Biafran civilian soft targets and the romance was brought to an end. Prior to that, Edith Ike’s parents who had lived in the north for more than thirty years, hastily relocated back to the East after narrowly surviving the pogrom of 1966, while Edith herself relocated to West Germany on 30thJune, 1967.

The relationship was said to have produced a handsome young man with full name Jack Musa Ngonadi Gowon in 1968. Due to Edith’s constant unease at the indiscriminate murder of civilians, the relationship got frosty and ended towards the end of 1968. In 1969 Gowon married Miss Victoria Zakari, a nurse by profession. Gowon reportedly denied paternity of Musa.

Chief Charles Okereke, Publisher of the popular online media, Nigeria Masterweb and Ambassador at large for Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, and chieftain of Igbo Mandate Congress while briefing the leadership of the group on aspects of the legal tussle between Gowon and Edith Ike said that “the case of paternity appeared before the Supreme Court of Nigeria (Suit No: SC.64/97); the appellant was General Gowon (Gowon v. Ike-Okongwu (2003) 6 NWLR (Pt.815)38 and respondent sMrs. Edith Ike-Okongwu, and Mr.Musa Gowon. FACTS: Respondent herein as plaintiff in the original action claimed, inter alia that the defendant,General Yakubu Gowon, is the father of the 2nd plaintiff, Musa Gowon. They claimed damages of the sum of N10, 000,000.00 for alleged libel contained in a letter published by the defendant through his solicitors to the editor of a monthly magazine “The Prime People.”

“Defendant in his statement of defense denied liability and paternity of the 2nd plaintiff. The defendant subsequently filed a motion seeking leave of court to file an amended statement of defense by inclusion of a counter-claim. The subject of the counter-claim was an alleged libelous article in two publications of the magazine called “HINTS - True Life Romances.”

"These publications of the magazine were made after the plaintiffs had filed amended statement of defense. The trial court at the conclusion of hearing of the application struck out both the amended statement of defense and the counter-claim. The defendant’s appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed. Dissatisfied, he further appealed to the Supreme Court.”

Edith was said to have migrated to the United States from then West Germany after the birth of Musa. The young boy lived with Gowon until her mother took him awa to the US. In the US Musa was said to have joined a Colombian drug cartel and lived flamboyant lifestyle until he was arrested on November 18, 1992 aged 23, prosecuted and given 40-year jail sentence the following year”

U.S. President Obama last month granted him state pardon after he had spent 22 years in prison. He is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration booked for deportation to Nigeria anytime from now.

The Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress, Rev Obinna Akukwe has gotten in touch with Nigerians in diaspora to determine the actual date of deportation so that this rejected Igbo son abandoned by his father, is given a sense of belonging

Igbo Mandate Congress also calls on the Federal Government to ensure that this boy is rehabilitated so that those evil memories of the civil war is not resurrected and used by desperate politicians.

IMC also called on Igbos in the United States to assist to assist Musa Gowon Ngonadi because “he whom has been rejected should not reject himself”

Igbo Mandate Congress also expresses gratitude to the United States President Barrack Obama for the pardon granted Musa Ngonadi Gowon in the spirit of reconciliation and demand good treatment of this man born under the contradictions of love, hate and an unnecessary civil war.

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Articles by Obinna Akukwe