"Nigeria is suffering the consequences of 1975 coup" - Lai Mohammed

The minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has recently blamed the insecurities in Nigeria on the coup that took place in 1975. The coup, which took place on July 29, 1975, overthrew Yakubu Gowon and brought Murtala Muhammed to power.

Lai Mohammed made this statement while speaking on Channels Television on Monday 26, 2021. In his words, he says: 

"The fact is that in 1973, we were informed by the lead discussant and that the government of the day then had a retreat and said there must be a national pledge that what is that thing that we must do to ensure that we did not go through another civil war. The government of that day came out with a decision that what will prevent another civil war is to ensure that anybody born after January 1970 has free and compulsory primary education.

Regrettably that administration was overthrown two years later and all the lofty ideas and all the preparations that were needed to ensure that every child of school age acquired free and compulsory education were jettisoned. And we are paying the price today because if you have 13.2 million children of school-age out of school that is the market which Boko Haram, bandits, IPOB and other militants, that is the market where they recruit people."