Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon on Thursday said that late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Biafran leader was shocked when the civil war started in 1967. 
VANGUARD reports that Gowon made the comment at at a lecture entitled: “The Church and Nigerian Nation: Impact, Challenges and the Way Forward,” to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria (FGCN).

Thanking God for keeping Nigeria together after the March 28 elections, Gowon said, ''All my life, from childhood to this present day, the Bible has consistently been my companion. I discovered quite early that every word of God contained therein speak to every situation in the life of every man or woman, great or small and to occurrences in every nation, big or small. Since these words are self-evidently true, they are reliable and unfailing. This should surprise no one because God Himself gave us the assurance that He would always answer when we call upon Him.

''You will agree that, across time, happenings in our fatherland have almost always ensured that people of faith across denominations in Christendom and in Islam kept unending vigil for the love of country. Let me share a joke of what happened before the civil war in 1967-1970. I think it was my colleague Emeka Ojukwu that said I know Jack, he is a Christian, who always carries a suitcase around with the Bible inside. He wouldn’t like to fight. Unfortunately, he was proved wrong. However, it was through the grace of God, that we were able to keep Nigeria one.

''It was the prayers of people of God and the bravery of our fighting forces that kept this country together. After the civil war, it was wisdom from God to willing and obedient hearts that helped us to initiate and implement programmes that best served the interest of the people. It was God that helped to stem the tide of bloody coups in Nigeria so that we can enjoy democracy today.

''Even when naysayers wrote off this nation and various uncertified futurologists predicted the break up of Nigeria by 2015 as a bye-product of the recently concluded general elections, the effective prayers of people of faith moved the hands of God and He once more intervened in the affairs of our dear country.

''I was in Addis Ababa for a conference and when the news came that the incumbent president had congratulated his opponent, everyone at the conference was happy and they started congratulating me and other Nigerians at the conference. Let us imagine what would have happened if President Goodluck Jonathan had refused to do that.