Oil, politics and violence : Nigeria's military coup culture (1966-1976) / Max Siollun.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Siollun, Max.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Coups d'état--Nigeria--History--20th century.

Coups d'état.

Military government--Nigeria--History--20th century.

Military government.

Nigeria--Politics and government--1960-.

Nigeria.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (284 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Algora Pub., c2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"An insider traces the details of hope and ambition gone wrong in the Giant of Africa, Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. When it gained independence from Britain in 1960, hopes were high that, with mineral wealth and over 140 million people, the most educated workforce in Africa, Nigeria would become Africa s first superpower and a stabilizing democratic influence in the region. However, these lofty hopes were soon dashed and the country lumbered from crisis to crisis, with the democratic government eventually being overthrown in a violent military coup in January 1966. From 1966 until 1999, the army held onto power almost uninterrupted under a succession of increasingly authoritarian military governments and army coups. Military coups and military rule (which began as an emergency aberration) became a seemingly permanent feature of Nigerian politics. The author names names, and explores how British influence aggravated indigenous rivalries. He shows how various factions in the military were able to hold onto power and resist civil and international pressure for democratic governance by exploiting the country's oil wealth and ethnic divisions to its advantage."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

The pre-coup days: politics and crisis

The Nigerian army: the way things were

Soldiers and politics

Enter "the five majors"

From civilian to military rule: history in the making

A new type of government

The army implodes

The July rematch

Mutineers in power

The killing continues

Legacy of the 1966 coups

Aburi: the "Sovereign National Conference" that got away

Murtala Muhammed: human tempest

The post war years: civil and military discontent

Another army plot: another military government

Friday the 13th: the watershed coup of 1976

Crime and punishment.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-87586-710-3

OCLC:

457043539