When is a nation not a nation?
Sir: Could I through your columns make a couple of observations on Sir Denis Brogan's 'Table Talk' (21 March)?
Sir Denis quotes Tim Healy as saying : 'A nation is what people are prepared to die for' and from this he concludes that 'the Ibos . . . are proving themselves a nation. Their "terrible beauty" has been born.' By the same logic swly Sir Denis should also - admit that Nigerians have proved themselves a nation and that Nigeria is no more a 'scholastic' construct than is 'Biafra.' If for the purpose of argument, we were to accept Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe's figures of casualties from actual fighting given some months ago, more Nigerians have died for Nigeria than have 'Biafrans' for 'Biafra.'
Secondly, when Sir Denis talks of the Ibos and 'Biafra,' he seems to equate the two. Per- haps one should inform Sir Denis that what the Ibos claim as 'Biafra' contains almost as many non-Ibos as there are Ibos and that therefore it is grossly misleading to equate the two, a fact which has bedevilled much of the debate on the Nigerian conflict.
It was one of the marks of scholasticism to draw parallels where none existed; to build whole arguments through the use of question- able analogies. There is no parallel between the former French West African 'Federation,' or Ireland, and present-day Nigeria and by trying to draw one Sir Denis only shows himself to be at fault as the 'scholastics' whom he so obviously dislikes.
Billy J. Dudley University of Manchester, Department of Government, Dover Street, Manchester 13
Previous page
