22 APRIL 1960, Page 14

With Mac Through Africa The 'Tied House' System Children's Homes

That Pill Hambrosia White Anglo-Saxon Protestant The BBC's Yugoslav Service Patron or Dictator?

El Dorado Cam Ipaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Canon L. John Collins

Holidays With Prejudice Robin McDouall

A bba Edam Gana M. M. Brittain John Papworill David Adamson P.C. B. Thornton Margaret Cole M. Solaric Charley Wilson Deirdre Mead Ryan

WITH MAC THROUGH AFRICA

SIR,—My attention has recently been drawn to the article 'With Mac through Africa' by Robert Manning which was published in your issue of February 19. I should be grateful for an opportunity to correct the false impressions given by the many inaccuracies in the highly coloured description of the Northern Region of Nigeria and of Mr. Macmillan's visit to it.

Your correspondent refers to the Northern Region as being feudal Moslem territory, more Middle Eastern than Black African, with a heavy overlay of Pakistan and an inlay of Raj India—whatever this means. Had your:correspondent glanced at the avail- able statistics and made a few local inquiries he would have found that over one-third of the area and population is non-Moslem and that feudalism does not exist.

As you know, sir, Northern Nigeria is one. of the world's important exporters of tin, columbite, groundnuts, cotton, hides and skins. Your corre- spondent, however, has taken an extraordinarily myopic view; there are no rhinestone palaces; the people do not prostrate themselves to passing digni- taries in their motor-cars. The Emir of Zaria's palace is situated on high ground almost in the centre of, and certainly not set back from, the' city. it has no, minarets (plump or otherwise) and the Arabic characters at its front entrance do not proclaim that it is the Emir's palace but that 'God is the greatest of all.' Again, the Emir of Zaria has no Cabinet or Ministers, but a Council and Councillors; he was not sitting in the audience chair with the Prime Minister alone--the Northern Premier, the Prime Minister's staff, senior government officials and others were alSo present and seated. And yet again on emerging from the palace, no speeches were made and no car (not even a Cadillac) then or later made off for Kano.

Your correspondent's report is not only inaccurate but also unnecessarily offensive. To describe the courtesy call of the wife of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on the wives of the Emir of Zaria, a respected Moslem leader, as viewing the harem (with all its unfortunate present-day connotations) is not only distasteful but discourteous. To assert further that the Emir has forty wives is inaccurate and libellous, denigrating his name not only with his own people but also with Muslims everywhere, as Mus- lims are limited to four wives by law.

It is surprising that you should have published in your journal, so well known for its sense of responsibility, such an inaccurate and offensive report without first checking the facts. I am sure that your reporter had no deliberate intention of causing offence but you, sir, as editor of a journal of such repute, will po doubt realise the harm done to Corn-. monwealth 'relations by reports in British journals

which are in any way exaggerated, inaccurate or needlessly offensive.—Yours faithfully,

AMA ADAM GANA

Nigeria House, Northern Region, Commissioner

9 Northumberland Avenue, WC2 [Robert Manning writes : 'Mr. Abba Jidam Gana is both thoughtful and accurate in commenting that there was no deliberate intention of causing offence. On the contrary, Nigeria is probably the most vigor- ous and, to me, the most interesting of the new nations of the world. Its impending freedom carries with it a promise that is exciting and deserving of respect. It is with respect that I absorbed what impressions I could and reported them, impression- istically—the only way in which a visitor of such brief duration could be entitled to report.

'True, only about a third of Northern Nigeria is populated by Moslems, but it is well known and it is obvious at every turn that the Moslem third govern and dominate the region, as they have done for generations. As for feudalism, I can only say that the Commissioner and I are measuring with differ- ent yardsticks. I did on two occasions see Nigerians by the roadside prostrate themselves as an emir's car, its klaxon signalling its arrival, sped past. I erred in reporting that the Arabic capitals on the emir's palace signified the same thing as those in English, "EMIR'S PALACE," and my photographs do indeed show that there are no minarets, rather elongated white-painted protrusions that rise to points from each of several corners. The report of the meeting with the emir's councillors came from officials who were allowed to witness, reporters being forbidden. My notes, and a check with others, re-confirm that there were short spoken formalities at the end of Mr. Macmillan's visit and he and his party were indeed driven off in cars. As for Lady Dorothy's visit to the feminine chambers of the palace, I can only plead perhaps justified economy of expression in reporting that all of the women domiciled there were wives in the precisely legal sense—Editor. ' Spectator.]