Army Said To Control All Nigeria’s Regions

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 11

Army Said To Control All Nigeria’s Regions

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NAIROBI, January 16. Passengers arriving in Nairobi by air from Lagos reported that the Army was in complete control in all five regions of Nigeria, the Associated Press reported.

They said that the arrest of the Federal Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, came after a brief exchange of shots around his Lagos residence. The Prime Minister of the Western Region, Chief Samuel Akintola, was shot and killed at his desk, they reported. In the Eastern Region, the Prime Minister, Mr Michael Okpara, was under house arrest. according to the passengers. They reported that Lagos was now quiet, with troops guarding key points in the city. Machine-guns were being put up around the airport.

They said all telephones and telecommunications were in the hands of the Army, as was the power station. The country they had just left is a federation and has a population of about 55 million people—the largest of any State in Africa. A former British colony, Nigeria became a sovereign and independent State on October 1, 1960, and 1 republic within the Commonwealth three years later. The 356.000-square mile country comprises four regions—Northern, Western, Eastern and Mid-West —and the Federal territory of Lagos Each region is self-govern-ing and has its own constitution.

The Federal Parliament comprises a Senate (Upper House) of 44 nominated members from all Regions and a House of Representatives of 312 members.

The latter are elected by full adult suffrage in some Regions and adult male suffrage in others. The Senate, under the President has powers to review bills sent to it by the House of Representatives and to initiate bills not dealing with money. British Pattern The House of Representatives is conducted on the pattern of the British House of Commons, with a Speaker elected from among its members.

The Nigerian Army was British-led until General Aguiyi Aronsi, aged 41, was appointed to lead it in February last year. The Army, which grew out of the pre-independence Nigeria Regiment, has a history dating back 107 years. It is best known for its fighting record in the Burma campaign in the Second World War.

Nigeria is a mainly agricultural country, a factor reflected in its green and white flag. The green represents

agriculture and the white unity and peace. Groundnuts, cotton, hides and skins, columbite and tin come mainly 6r wholly from the north.

Palm produce, cocoa, timber and rubber come from the south. Timber and hides and s’ins are other major export commodities.

There are important tin and coal-mining industries at the cities of Jos and Enugu respectively.