HC Deb 21 May 1953 vol 515 cc2263-8
The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. Oliver Lyttelton)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and the permission of the House, I should now like to make a statement on the Nigerian Constitution.

Recent events have shown that it is not possible for the three Regions of Nigeria to work together effectively in a federation so closely knit as that provided by the present Constitution. Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, while greatly regretting this, consider that the Constitution will have to be redrawn to provide for greater regional autonomy and for the removal of powers of intervention by the Centre in matters which can, without detriment to other Regions, be placed entirely within regional competence. It is at the same time necessary to ensure that the common economic and defence requirements of all Regions are secured

In order to ensure these vital requirements of all Regions, and at the same time to preserve the common interests of all the peoples of Nigeria, there will, of course, be a continuing need for a central organisation. The form which that central organisation should take, and the powers which must be reserved to it, will require careful study.

In the work of redrawing the Constitution, Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom would wish to cooperate as closely as possible with the leaders of the people in all three Regions. The first requirement is to decide how this work can best be carried out. To this end, Her Majesty's Government will invite representatives from each Region to visit London for discussions with the Secretary of State. It is Her Majesty's Government's intention to carry through the projected reform of the Constitution in the shortest time possible, but in a territory of such a size, with so large a population, with so many different groupings and so many shades of public opinion, the work will inevitably take time. While that work is carried out, Nigeria will continue to be governed under its existing Constitutional Instruments, and it will be necessary for the Central Government to be so composed that it can carry out its task in the meanwhile.

It is the clear duty of all the Regions to assist the Governor by ensuring that the persons composing the Central Government are able and determined to work together during this interim period. It is equally the clear duty of Her Majesty's Government to ensure that in all circumstances government in Nigeria is effectively carried out in the interests of all the peoples of the country.

Mr. J. Griffiths

This is a very important statement, and when we have had time to consider it obviously it ought to be very fully discussed in the House. In the meantime I would ask the right hon. Gentleman one or two questions.

Do I gather that Her Majesty's Government have already made up their mind that the central Government is to have no functions beyond those of economics and defence and therefore is to be deprived of political authority? That is my impression from what I have heard.

Secondly, have there been any discussions with the Ministers in the Nigerian central and regional Governments, before the statement was made and have they agreed to the consideration of the Constitution under those terms of reference? My last question is: In inviting representatives, there is reference only to regional representatives. Are representatives of the central Government, and the regional Governments and political parties, being invited to this conference?

Mr. Lyttelton

There are four questions asked by the right hon. Gentleman. Perhaps he will remind me if I should leave one out. Firstly, there were discussions on the subject with various persons in Nigeria by my right hon. Friend when he was there. Secondly, I think the right hon. Gentleman is reading into my statement something which I did not intend. Discussions will cover the whole field and are not confined to economic or defence matters only. All that I said was that a looser central authority was required. I find some difficulty in answering the third question in detail. I will answer in general. We shall ask all people necessary in order to ensure that all shades of political opinion in Nigeria are asked.

Mr. Griffiths

My question was whether central and regional Ministers and political parties had been invited to this conference.

Mr. Lyttelton

That is the question I was answering. I was not answering it in detail. The object of the conference is to get a representative body together so that we can form an opinion of all shades of political outlook in Nigeria.

Mr. Griffiths

Since the Minister was in Nigeria there have been discussions with the right hon. Gentleman and other representatives about this projected conference. Did the Minister secure their assent to come to the conference on these terms of reference?

Mr. Lyttelton

We are going to make an invitation. To put it quite bluntly, recent events have rather forced our hands. They have not been asked, and until they see the statement I cannot say whether they will accept or not.

Lieut.-Colonel Elliot

While fully agreeing with the ex-Colonial Secretary opposite as to the importance of my right hon. Friend's statement, and without desiring to pursue it further at this time, may I ask my right hon. Friend to indicate at what time he considers it possible that the suggested meeting should take place?

Mr. Lyttelton

I cannot do that until I have had further consultation. I regard the assembly of this meeting as a matter of great urgency and we shall try to get it together at once.

Mr. Griffiths

This is a matter of considerable importance. Under the present Constitution in Nigeria there are a central Government and regional Governments with their own Ministers, and therefore the relationship between Her Majesty's Government and Nigeria at present is not just that between the Government here and an old-time Colony. Do I understand that this conference is being called without the prior agreement of Ministers in Nigeria, elected under their Constitution, to come to the conference? If that is so, does the right hon. Gentleman think that this is indeed the way to approach the problem of a review of the Constitution? I am not discussing now the question whether there ought or ought not to be a review of the Constitution, but does this mean that this has been done without prior consultations with the Ministers who have been duly elected under the Constitution?

Mr. Lyttelton

I think that the right hon. Gentleman is being a little unfair on this matter. The general subject was discussed by my right hon. Friend and we now find it necessary to invite Ministers to attend a conference. If the right hon. Gentleman asks whether they have accepted, I am afraid that that is not so; because they are now being invited. What happens after these invitations have been made I cannot yet say.

Mr. H. Morrison

Would it not have been more courteous, and I should have thought more practical, before making this statement in the House at least to have informed the Ministers concerned in Nigeria, if indeed they ought not to have been effectively consulted about it? I am inclined to think that the latter ought to have been the case. Surely it is not exactly promising to make a statement in the House of Commons—which certainly ought to be made at the right time—before the Nigerians know anything about it. Surely this must be rather clumsy and must invite a repetition of what occured in the case of something else.

Mr. Lyttelton

The last thing that I want to do is to raise the temperature of the House in this matter, but surely the right hon. Gentleman is quite out of touch with what is happening in Nigeria at the moment. The position is extremely difficult as a whole, and I am anxious to prevent any further disturbance and loss of life taking place. That is why I have to reject these specious suggestions and act now, because this is the only way in which these things are likely to be resolved.

Mr. Griffiths

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is in Nigeria now a Cabinet of the Nigerian Government, presided over by the Governor, on which Ministers serve? Has that Cabinet not been consulted, and will the Ministers hear of this announcement made in London without prior discussion in the Cabinet in Nigeria?

Mr. Lyttelton

I have only just returned and I could not answer that precisely. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] We have been in discussion with the Governor upon this matter, or rather my right hon. Friend has been during my absence, and, speaking without any particular knowledge, I do not think that this will come as a surprise to the Nigerian central Ministers anyway, because I think that they have been pressing for this.

Mr. Griffiths

I am sorry to have to speak again, but this is an important matter. May I ask my question again? Did the Governor, who presides over the Cabinet in Nigeria, present this to the Cabinet and ask for their views, or will they hear of it for the first time after this announcement?

Mr. Lyttelton

No, they will not hear of it for the first time. They have not yet accepted the invitation to come here and I ask the right hon. Gentleman not to press this matter any further, because this is really a very critical situation. These remarks will be very carefully read in Nigeria and I do not think that up to date they will help very much.

Mr. Griffiths

It was my privilege to bring into being the Nigerian Constitution, and it is because this is a critical situation that I want to ensure that we do not make a crucial mistake at the beginning. Having set up a Constitution in which there is a Cabinet with its own Ministers, I regard it as essential that those Ministers should be consulted before a decision is made to re-draw the Constitution of which they are the central executive authority. That is why I ask whether the Cabinet was consulted before this decision was made.

Mr. Lyttelton

That is highly unfair, because there is no question of re-drawing the Constitution, as the right hon. Gentleman has put it. The statement which I have made was on the calling of a conference with the object of seeing whether the re-drawing of the Constitution is really desirable. All that is happening is that the Government in Nigeria are being invited to a conference.

Mr. Alport

Is it not clear that there has been a breakdown of the central machinery of the Constitution in Nigeria which requires very urgent action by Her Majesty's Government here? Is my right hon. Friend aware that the action which he has taken, which we hope will ensure for the future a proper relationship between the three parts of the Nigerian Colony, will in fact be highly welcomed not only in this country but in Nigeria as well?

Mr. Lyttelton

My hon. Friend should be assured that the present situation is so dynamic that this is the only effective way in which we can try to handle it.

Sir W. Smithers

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Sir W. Smithers

On a point of order. As no one else has thought fit to do so, may I congratulate the Secretary of State for the Colonies on his safe return and thank him for all the splendid work he is doing for the Empire?

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member has been in this House long enough to know that he should not abuse a point of order.