The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned “an outrageous and unsubstantiated allegation” by a member of the United Kingdom Parliament against retired General Yakubu Gowon, a former Nigerian Head of State.
Mr. Tom Tugendhat, MP, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, had during a debate on a petition regarding the EndSARS protests in Nigeria, accused the former Head of State of corruption.
“Some people will remember when General Gowon left Nigeria with half the Central Bank and moved to London,” he had said.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Nigerian High Commission in London, immediately sought an apology and retraction of the “unsubstantiated allegation from the British Government”.
This is contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the ministry Ferdinand Nwoye on Friday.
The statement said after due consultations, the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner in London, the Head of Africa Department of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Charlotte Pierre, expressed strong reservations on the comment of the Parliamentarian.
She further explained that “the said comment of the MP does not reflect the views of Her Majesty’s Government and the
British Government has no mechanism for controlling the actions and speeches of members of the Parliament”.
She further urged the Government and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
“discountenance the said comment of the MP, as Her Majesty’s Government has nothing to do with it.
Gowon had earlier denied the allegations.
