First Republic Minister of Aviation, Dr. Mbazulike Amaechi,  said Tuesday  that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s  bitter experience in the Eastern region of the country did not stop him from preaching the gospel of one Nigeria. He described the late Azikiwe as a peerless nationalist who sacrificed his personal comfort for the unity and development of Nigeria.

Amaechi had prefaced his keynote at the public presentation of a book: ZIK: Testimonies to A Great African, edited by Henry Onukwuba to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in Lagos.

He had prefaced his keynote with a bombshell: “Since his death, Zik had appeared to me twice and the Zik that appeared to me is not happy with the state of development in Nigeria”. He said Zik gave him a message to deliver to his people.

According to Amaechi, Zik was sad that 20 years after his death, the Federal Government of Nigeria, governments of the former Eastern Region and Anambra State governments have collectively and individually failed to complete the work at his grave.

Amaechi called for erection of Zik’s epitaph scripted as a poem at State House Lagos in November 12, 1964 at his grave as a mark of honour for the departed leader.

Former Nigeria head of state, General Yakubu Gowon who chaired the event seized the opportunity to  fault agitators for a separate state of Biafra, saying such agitation does not take into cognizance the effect of the civil war on children. General Gowon, who was at the helm of affairs during the war said the agitators have not learned from history.

He emotionally recalled his encounter with children of the old Eastern region, shortly after the war and his avowed commitment to ensure they do not suffer effect of war again.

Gowon said shortly after the war, he visited some children in Eastern states and was so surprised at how they turned out to welcome them so warmly.

“Sincerely, they were impressive and addressed us as their parents and leaders. They prayed that we should not allow any Nigerian children to suffer what they went through during that civil war.

“The words from the children touched me so dearly, with tears in my eyes, thinking of the sufferings those children experienced. They did not say children from the East alone, but no Nigerian child should suffer what they suffered, I then said it would become engrained in my mind. Then I told myself that if I have anything to do with Nigeria you could be rest assured that I will make sure that no Nigerian child suffers such agonies and pains of war again”.

Responding to the message from Zik through Amaechi, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe told the audience that the people of Onitsha have started doing things to immortalise and honour Zik irrespective of the negligence from the Federal Government, including working towards the establishment of a museum, modernising the park named after Zik’s ancestry among others.

The well attended even attracted dignitaries from far and near.