ADEBAYO, HASSAN, WEY ARRIVE; VARIOUS DELEGATES AT CONFERENCE TABLE.




Initials IF/VS/CCT/SGM



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Background: NIGERIA'S SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) HELD ITS SECOND MEETING WITHIN TWO WEEKS IN A BID TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE COUNTRY'S CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. WHILE NO COMMUNIQUE WAS ISSUED, NORTHERN NIGERIA'S MILITARY GOVERNOR, LT-COLONEL HASSAN KATSINA, WAS ABLE TO ANNOUNCE TODAY THE COUNCIL'S DECISION TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SOLVE THE CRISIS PEACEFULLY. THE DECISION WAS TAKEN IN THE ABSENCE OF THE EASTERN NIGERIAN GOVERNOR, LT-COLONEL ODUMEGWU OJUKWU.

GOVERNOR HASSAN KATSINA'S ULTIMATUM CAME AS NIGERIA AWAITED THE OUTCOME OF COLONEL OJUKWU'S FEBRUARY ULTIMATUM THAT IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT IMPLEMENT DECISIONS HE BELIEVES WERE TAKEN AT A MEETING OF THE COUNCIL IN JANUARY, HE WOULD HIMSELF IMPLEMENT THESE DECISIONS UNILATERALLY. TONIGHT IS COLONEL OJUKWU'S DEADLINE.

THE QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THE DECISIONS (CONCERNING THE DEGREE OF POWER THAT SHOULD BE VESTED IN A CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND THE EXTENT OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY) WERE IN FACT MADE IN THE TERMS IN WHICH COLONEL OJUKWU CLAIMS THEY WERE MADE IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE DISPUTE. THE EAST HAS DEMANDED FULL REGIONAL CONTROL OVER ITS OWN RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE REVENUE FROM ITS RICH COASTAL OILFIELDS.

THE FEDERAL MILITARY GOVERNMENT APPEARED TO IGNORE THESE DEMANDS IN ITS 1967-68 BUDGET STATEMENT ISSUED TODAY. APPROVED BY YESTERDAY'S COUNCIL, THE BUDGET PLANNED TO ALLOCATE MONEY UNDER THE EXISTING FORMULA, OPPOSED BY THE EAST. NO INDICATION WAS GIVEN OF WHAT MEASURES WOULD BE TAKEN TO SETTLE THE CRISIS AMICABLY, NOR WHETHER IN FACT COLONEL OJUKWU WOULD CARRY OUT HIS THREAT.