TRANSCRIPT (SEQ 2): GOWON: I THINK I'VE ALSO EXPLAINED THIS IN MY BROADCAST. I THINK IT IS A DANGEROUS MOVE. I PERSONALLY, SINCERELY BELIEVED IT IS A DANGEROUS MOVE. YOU ARE MORE OR LESS GIVING A LICENCE FOR THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE COUNTRY. ONCE, AND THIS IS MY HONEST BELIEF, ONCE YOU START ACCEPTING CONFEDERATION ON THE TERMS SUGGESTED BY VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE....YOU'RE MORE OR LESS SAYING, 'WELL, YOU CHAPS, WE BETTER GO OWN WAY', AND CERTAINLY ONCE WE HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED, I MEAN WE WILL HAVE FOUR COUNTRIES, WITHOUT ANY, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT CERTAINLY KNOWING THAT WE HAVE ENFORCED OURSELVES INTO THE QUESTION OF DIVISION, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE QUESTION OF CONFEDERATION. I THINK NIGERIA WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF WE REMAIN TOGETHER. I BELIEVE THAT PRESENT HARD FEELING BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WOULD ONLY BE JUST A TEMPORARY THING, IT'S BOUND TO PASS, EVERY WOUND HEALS. INSTEAD OF US ACCEPTING A POSITION... WHETHER WE ACCEPT TO DIVIDE OURSELVES. IT IS BETTER THAT WE DO NOT CONSIDER THAT SYSTEM AT ALL AND KEEP ON WORKING TOWARDS A STABLE FEDERATION.



REPORTER: COULD I ASK YOU, SIR, ONE QUESTION AS A SOLDIER; DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NIGERIA CAN IN THE FUTURE HAVE ONE ARMY?



GOWON: NATURALLY, DEFINITELY I'M QUITE CONVINCED OF THAT, QUITE CONVINCED OF THAT.



REPORTER: WHICH LEADS ON TO THE FINAL QUESTION. SIR, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NIGERIA CAN STAY TOGETHER AS ONE COUNTRY?



GOWON: I BELIEVE THAT, VERY, VERY STRONGLY.


1.
LV & GV LAGOS
0.12

2.
MV GOWON SOF BEGINS
2.26



Initials GEM/V/BHH/GLH



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE LEADER OF NIGERIA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT, LIEUTENANT COLONEL YAKUBU GOWON, HAS SAID IN A RADIO BROADCAST TO THE NATION THAT THE COUNTRY MUST BE HELP TOGETHER UNDER A FEDERAL SYSTEM.

COLONEL GOWON ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WOULD BE SET UP SOON TO WRITE A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR NIGERIA. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AFTER HIS BROADCAST, HE EXPLAINED WHY HE HAS REJECTED SUGGESTIONS FOR ESTABLISHING A CONFEDERATION...