I AM INTERESTED in the debate on the political future of Nigeria, even
though I do not have a particular political arrangement to advocate.
However, I would like to point out for academic purposes that the fall of Yugoslavia was not
because it operated a system of rotational presidency or not. Rather, it can be explained by the
phenomenon which swept through Eastern Europe and saw the collapse of communism and its
institutions.
I would think that Switzerland provides a better reference point for analysis on the subject
of rotational presidency, principally because its system of rotation is based on democratic practices.
No political scientist worth the name ever refers to defunct Yugoslavia as an experiment in
consociational democracy.
I do not think it is of significance whether a country is a confederation or federation to operate a
system of rotational presidency. The important question is whether such a system is just, practic able
and accepted by the majority of Nigerians as the solution to their nation's problem of
integration. CLEMENT ABIRI London, UK
I AM NEITHER a political scientist nor a constitutional expert, but I am experienced enough
to know that it requires fairness for different groups to live together in a
federation. Even in a polygamous family setting, an impartial and intelligent father tries to be
fair to his children of different mothers in order to avoid rebellion and 'bad blood' in the family.
Disaffected Nig erians need to be pacified and made to believe that all groups are equal in an
indivisible Nigeria. I am therefore of the opinion that rotational presidency is the only solution to
the crisis in Nigeria with the first president coming from the South.
It would have been a mark of "supreme arrogance" for Mr Anthony Akinola to describe some
intellectuals as "lazy, ignorant and dishonest" if Mr Adebayo Belo had not first pulled the
trigger of insults by calling those supporters of rotational presidency and power-sharing politics
"pseudo-intellectuals" ( West Africa , August 14).
I think Mr Belo should apologise to all Nigerians who are only being honest about the politics of
their nation. He should also let us know where he stands as Akinola has done.
BENEDICT OSOLUE London, UK
I AM ONE of those who have read Anthony Akinola's articles with interest. In fact, I have
a copy of the book in which he advocated rotational presidency for Nigeria.
What I admire most in him is the consistency in his arguments.
I have also been reading Adebayo Belo lately. I can still remember the article in which he
argued for the redrawing of ethnic boundaries as the way forward for African countries - a view which
generated much comment in your magazine.
What seems lacking in Belo's writings is the consistency and sincerity of Akinola. For instance, he
writes about the need to redraw ethnic boundaries in one piece and, in another, he tells you that the
masses are only concerned with the performance and not the ethnic origin of their leaders ( West
Africa , August 14). If there are no problems of regionalism and competition between groups, why
was he asking for the redrawing of ethnic boundaries?
I also do not share Belo's seeming assumption that rotational presidency can only work in a
confederation (September 18). He cannot claim to know more than the Nigerian politicians and
traditional rulers who have supported the idea in Nigeria.
MICHAEL OGODAN London, UK
I READ MR Adebayo Belo's letter on the subject of rotational presidency ( West Africa
, September 18) with some kind of interest. It amuses me that someone who revels in
labelling those who support power-sharing in Nigeria as 'pseudo-intellectuals' ( West Africa
, August 14) is himself unable to view with some measure of maturity my categorisation of those
who dismissed the same idea out of hand as 'lazy intellectuals' who are either 'ignorant' or
'dishonest' (August 28).
Mr Belo would like me to provide examples of federatons which succeeded with rotational
presidency. This reminds me of anot her great intellectual who argued for the rejection of the concept
on the grounds that it was 'untested'. I had to ask him where the parliamentary and presidential
systems of government were first tested before the British and Americans respectively adopte d them,
several years ago (April 3).
The debate on the issue of rotational presidency in Nigeria spans one decade, and various arguments
have been advanced in different forums in support of a unique Nigerian model of the system. It would
serve no useful pu rpose to engage in debates with those who may not be familiar with these
arguments.
ANTHONY A. AKINOLA Oxford, UK
Reporting Sierra Leone T HE BBC news service reported on September 2 that a spokesman for the
NPRC in Sierra Leone denied any knowledge of hunger in Kenema. This in spite of a survey carried
out by the charity Medecins Sans Frontières which revealed that hunger and child
malnutrition are causing large numbers of deaths in that particular region.
The entire south-east has suffered disproportionately from this perniciously unjustified war. It
is now clear that the leadership of the rebel RUF is of northern stock, and the continuing
strangulation of these communities raises a fundamental question as to the motives for inflicting
such suffering on innocent civilians.
If the aim of the RUF is to overthrow what they see as the illegitimate regime of the NPRC, then
the destruction of property and taking of lives in the name of a revolution can never be ac cepted by
Sierra Leoneans or the international community.
Both the RUF and NPRC have shown a lack of sensitivity to the plight of Sierra Leoneans. Whilst, on
one hand, the 'rebel' movement terrorises the people, the NPRC on the other hand, have demonstrated a
curious mendacity as regards the consequences of the w ar. The mindless utterance of September 2 will
do nothing but compound the sufferings of the acutely affected areas. If his view is representative of
the entire NPRC, then it will be very difficult for them to lay any claims to credibility.
It is understandable for authorities facing civil commotion to manipulate and sometimes withhold
information from the public on grounds of security. But this same arrangement cannot be applied in
this particular case.
YANKUBA GBASSA KAI-SAMBA London, UK
Ghana's economy G HANAIANS SHOULD NOT be complacent with the exit of Dr Kwesi
Botchwey; not if there is a continuation of the structural adjustment programme by the current
finance minister, Mr Kwame Peprah, who ha s been part of the economic management team for several
years now.
Dr Botchwey's finance minister cannot look back at its performance with any sense of pride. Its
structural adjustment programme incurred for Ghanaians a huge external debt which present and future
generations may not be able to pay off for a long time to c ome. Also, the programme led to massive
unemployment, retrenchment of workers, declining educational standards, mass poverty, health
institutions without drugs and ever-declining living standards.
Ghanaians are fed up with economic reforms which have proved counter-productive and which have only
helped to fuel their already worsening economic plight. The new finance minister has a big task before
him. He must chart a new course to get the economy ou t of the woods so that Ghanaians can smile
again.
NSOPANGA AWOLUGUTU Kumasi, Ghana
I T IS IRRITATING to hear from some people that Ghana's market is flooded
with all sorts of consumer goods and that the country is geared towards an economic miracle. This
is all wishful thinking.
The fact is that we are an outlet for foreign goods, including inferior and reject goods. In a
way we are guinea pigs for foreign products, particularly pharmaceutical products. Lack of the experts
and technical know-how to check the quality and authentici ty of imported products makes us an easy
target.
Ghana, like other African countries except South Africa and Zimbabwe, can never solve its currency
crisis unless it becomes a manufacturing-based economy able to absorb foreign goods and services.
The NDC government should be wary of relying heavily on foreign advisors and experts. Some of these
experts have vested interests, and sometimes act against the interest of Ghana.
C.K. OWUSU-ANSAH London, UK
Development problems Y OUR FEATURE ON Ghana's energy problems ( West Africa , July 10) once
more underscores the need for comprehensive energy and development policies among African
nations. There is, for example, a need to analyse hydrological, sociological and ecological problems
before damming significant rivers for hydroelectricity. The laws of environmental science are of no
mean consequence, and ignorance of them is suo periculo .
African and Third World nations would do well to invest in research and development activities
and bolster their budgetary allocation to same. One expects research institutes on alternative
energies, environmental technologies, climatology and remote sensi ng, and even on alternative health,
nutrition, pharmacology, drought studies etc. Of course they need regional or localised drives for
adaptation of technology, machine tools etc to help tackle these problems.
Secondly, in the same issue you reported debates on the negative image of the continent from
some Western media. Although the media can draw global attention to critical continental problems
anywhere in a frantic search for solutions, it can also stress ot her positive developments, and we
can learn more sometimes from the positive. Also, I think no civilised or psychologically sound media
professio nal should portray human misfortune in any continent with a racist slant or with contempt,
nor even exhibit those base instincts at all to anyone, anywhere.
CHRIS AGUGOESI Owerri, Nigeria
Ritual suicide W OLE SOYINKA'S Death and the King's Horseman was adapted for
BBC Radio 3 as part of the africa '95 drama series on Sunday September 17 at 7.25pm.
The play was set in colonial Africa during the Second World War. The well-intentioned District Officer
(DO) who wanted to be the moral policeman of the natives tried to prevent the ritual suicide of the
decea sed ruler's horsman (the Minister of Transport). The DO did not appreciate the ethical basis of
this indigenous custom and his intervention proved disastrous.
Under some indigenous laws, when the ruler died the ritual suicide of a few of his well-appointed
ministers was generally accepted as a way of changing the old order for the new. This was the
overriding moral reasoning underlying ritual suicides. The new administration should not be burdened
with the mistakes or the vanities of the old. In indigenous jurisdiction the senior ministers when
they accepted office knew their fate. It was not considered a violation of their right to life as they
forfeited that right by electing for the office. The correlation of the ritual suicide of some
ministers was their agreement to the ritual suicide of their bad premier. The internalised morality
of virtuous ritual suicide forms the legal underpinning of change of administration that was
beneficial to the community. Ritual suicide requires courage and courage requires wisdom.
There has been a recent revival of academic interest in indigenous law as one of the sources of
statutory law. If the revival were to incorporate ritual suicide of ministers, the modern candidates
for ritual suicide would be the Minister of Finance , the Minister of Mines and Petroleum, the Foreign
Minister, and the Ambassadors to Washington and London. Maybe the resulting ethical earthquake would
produce a new administration of rational saints.
EFFA OKUPA London, UK
African creativity T HE ISSUES RAISED in Denrele Ogunwa's article "African Creativ-
ity: the authenticity question" ( West Africa , September 4) are important and
crucial to the survival of African arts and literature. The imposition of a super-culture is real, and
it is a big threat.
I mus t point out, however, that creativity is born out of experience. In other words, experience
is the mother of creativity. An African experience is an African experience. The idea, the concept, is
born of the African mind and spirit. The creation or the prod uct defines itself. Language defines a
creative work no more and no less than what it is.
Universality transcends national and racial bonds. The African mind is capable of producing
creative works with universal themes and dimensions. For example, traditio nal African art and
literature - some created several hundred years back - have been adjudged and acclaimed as
masterpieces. Such works have been so defined not because they have been Westernised but because they
appeal to the Western mind and spirit and a lso because they have the qualities of good works of
art.
LARWEH THERSON-COFIE Accra, Ghana
africa '95
M R ARNOLD AWOONOR-GORDON expressed his disappointment at the
lack of support given by African governments to africa '95 ( West Africa , August
28). What s urprised me is why he should bemoan that fact when the apathy of most Africans abroad to
issues that affect them is well known.
Your magazine, in the August 21 issue, gave coverage to the launch of a specialist African
gallery, the Modern African Gallery, in London. Although it was clearly stated that the gallery
specialised in Ghanaian works of art and artefacts, the Ghanaians, es pecially those who have not been
back home for quite some time, have not flocked to enjoy the art from their own country. It is
assumed that galleries and such places are for the 'white' people. If we the citizens do not show
suitable interest in these events, why should we be angry that our governments give little support to
the events which affect the progress of their own countr ymen?
I entreat Africans in the UK to get off their collective backsides and see the wonderful works
exhibited by the various galleries participating in africa '95 .
CECILIA T. HASTINGS London, UK