page 5
friday, September 5, 1975
daily nebraskan
ii
nil liuO:
Nigerian r hopes coup solves economic
Editor's note: .This summer's Organization of African
Unity summit was brought to an abrupt dose at the end of
July by the news that summit member Gen. Yakubu
Gowan's 9-year-oJd military rule of Nigeria had been
quietly and bloodiessly replaced by that of Gowan's fellow
officer, Brig. Gen. Muritala Rufai Mohammed.
John Ofie Ukandu, a UNL student from Aba, Nigeria,
who is working on his Ph.D. in economics, here offers his
analysis of Nigeria's leadership needs.
Nigeria is the richest and most populous black nation in
the world. On Oct. 1, 1960, she became one of the
independent African nations emerging' from the shackles of
colonialism. Since then; three coups-one glorious, one
brutal and one indeterminate-have jolted the nation's
conscience.
The first coup d'etat was glorious because it was the
general yearning and genuine wishes of the entire people,
and was brought into being by combined military elements
with a broad base in Nigeria and without tribal orientation.
The second coup was brutal and unwarranted because its
violence was directed against one ethnic group in Nigeria,
the Ibos ot Biatra. .
.This second coup ended a dismal failure as it did not
meet any of its objectives-the eradication of corruption
and tribalism and the push for faster economic
advancement.
Instead, corruption and tribalism quadrupled. Now a
majority of Nigerians live in abject poverty in a land of
plenty. L . '
Why land of plenty?. It is not within the boundary of
this article to tabulate and catalogue all Nigeria's natural
resources. Three here will suffice:
Nigeria is the second largest petroleum producer in
Africa after Libya, seventh in the world, and the second
largest producer of palm oil and cocoa. .
She earns about $25 million a day on oil and is the third
largest supplier to the United States, (about 900,000 barrels
per day). This is just a sketch of her riches.
The problem of Nigeria, then, is not that nature was
unkind to her in the distribution of natural resources. The
problem emanates from chronic tribalism, corruption, and
lack of strong and effective leadership, the latter two being
the brain children of the former. .
In short, who is in power in Nigeria is of little or no
consequence as long as this power is directed to making
For a nation to be strong, united and stable, it must tirst
of all transverse the rule of "strong men." Great Britain, the
United States, Russia, France, Germany, etc., went through
this transitional period: .
Britain, during her revolution under Cromwell; the
United States, under George Washington; Russia, under
Lenin and Stalin; France, under Napoleon Bonaparte;
Germany under Bismarck.
These strong men must not necessarily be military men,
but men with clear objectives, with a mission transcending
personal and tribal commitments and glory, a mission of
higher order-the nation. ' .
Furthermore, Nigeria's economy must not be so strongly
attached to the British economy. M!a,.
It is ridiculous and inconsistent to attach Nigeria s
economy to that of a nation that is sinking, both
economically and politically, while Nigeria's goal is .faster
economic development and improvements in the welfare of
her people. A turnaround in policy is necessary.
This is what Nigeria needs-strong, equitable, effective
leadership, an uprooting of tribalism, corruption and
nepotism and a loosening of economic ties with Britain.
Let us hope that Nigeria got this in the third coup on
July 28,1975
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