NIGERIA
Gowon's army
MOLLY MORTIMER
When I lived in a Nigerian harem, the feeling between Hausa Fulani and Ibo was very evident. At that time, the local press, Northern Nigerian Citizen and Eastern Star, were conducting a verbal war which made British nineteenth century elections look prim. Even if backward, the great North belonged to a stable and mature civilisation which saw the ebullient Yoruba and thrusting Ibo as very much Johnny come lately. As the Hausa' put it: be the neck never so long, the head is still on top. Nor was the north so backward. Its television was well ahead. There were two beautiful sets in the harem. And at the opening of the great Ahmadu Bellu sports stadium, when the local team played the Scots rangers, the crowd was like any western, only better behaved. Backward or not, it was fear of the great north which led to the present balkanisation of Nigeria into twelve states, rather than of the Eastern Ibo. For the north is as different in race and culture as the Northern Sudan from the negroid south and the Arab peoples are less repentant about these their slaves than the equality ridden European. The huge civil war and massacres in the Sudan, which get so little publicity and which make the Nigerian civil war look much smaller in perspective are not unknown to Nigerian leaders, or the possible parallel in Nigeria. General Govvon, himself from a small northern tribe, does not there- fore envisage a return to civilian rule for some years; and he keeps the largest armY (about 200,000) in Africa to ensure the peace previously held by a few British civilians. Moreover the problem of what to do with discharged soldiery remains, as the wave of violence and robbery, especially in the western region, shows. The classical solution is to use such surplus abroad and indeed. both Nigerian and Ghanaian soldiers proved i magnificent in the Congo. But the Congo s quiet. It is perhaps for this reason that Nigeria, who knows well the value of British arms, is so vehement against arms for South Africa. The Nigerian army could be a much more respectable weapon for the 0,1J than the 'present infighting and cornmunis! supplied guerrilla forces. South .Africa's troubles could indeed solve those of Nigeria. As the Hausa, who have a proverb for every occasion say : if you see your brother's beard on fire, pour water on your own.
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