General Ironsi, head of the military government: that seized power in Nigeria last January 15, announced the abolishment May 24 of the four regional governments that constituted: the Federation. From now on the country is to be known: as the Republic of Nigeria.
The move is designed to counter separatist ‘tendencies and to strengthen the central power.
The general went further than this, however.. He also decreed the dissolution of all parties and political and tribal organizations until January 17, 1969. The decree listed 107 organizations.
In addition, the formation of any new organization embracing more than two persons having the same objectives is banned.
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On tep of this, it is forbidden to.mention either orally or.,. in writing the names: and>slogans of. the: banned organizations or . even | the names of their-leaders. .
All the banned organizations are ordered to file a financial © statement. with the government within thirty days. The penalty for violating the. order is'a minimum of five years in prison.
NEW REGIME PUTS GHANA UP FOR SALE
- © - EsN.Omaboe, chief economic official of the counterrevolutionary military clique that overthrew the Nkrumah government last February, was sent on a mission to New York to sell his country for . whatever it might bring in the countinghouses of Manhattan.
At a luncheon staged by the African-American, Chamber of Commerce May. 20 in the St. Regis Hotel, Omaboe stressed. the. openings. .. available for the taking in Ghana to- any enterprising American core shark. "Textiles, knit goods, simple clothing and. tough denim jeans — are already a hit with all ages and sexes up and down the coast," he said. "We want New England and Californian fishermen to. fish our coasts and set up canneries. .
aad these are the sort of enterprises which you American businessmen can set up rapidly and efficiently. "
Among the inducements offered by the new regime in return for setting up apparatus of this kind to pump Ghana's wealth into the-bank accounts of American stockholders, Omaboe mentioned’ five to ten years "tax relief," duty-free importation of materials, and guaranties for repatriation of profits subject to foreign-exchange conditions.
And don't worry about expropriation, Omaboe told his attentive audience. In the unlikely event & business should be "nationalized, " compensation would be forthcoming with the World Bank acting as "arbitrator. ey
* However , the "emphasis" of the new regime, said Omaboe, is not at all on nationalizations. In fact the generals who succeeded ~ in ousting Nkrumah have worked out plans to turn over a number of state-operated enterprises to private ownership.
Earlier in the week, the International Monetary Fund decided to rush a big roll of money to the new regime as a kind of down payment. The agency set up a standby credit of $36,400,000 as a "first step" in overcoming the tight financial situation in which | the traitorous generals find themselves.