Word: accra
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...efforts seemed futile. The leaders of Nigeria's four ethnic regions seemed unable to agree on a place to meet, much less on a way to keep the tottering federal government on its feet. Then, suddenly, Gowon and the four regional heads dropped everything and took off for Accra, Ghana. After two whirlwind days of secret negotiations at one of Kwama Nkrumah's old villas, the five men, gushing optimism, emerged from the conference table. Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, leader of the Eastern Ibos whose threatened secession precipitated the present crisis, called the negotiations "a very big success." Gowon said...
...there was one conspicuous omission in the communique issued after the Accra negotiations. The five men avoided Nigerial's most pressing difficulty, the future form of the central government. With this issue unresolved, no one can be certain of Nigeria's fate. The negotiated agreements have deterred the East's immediate secession. But there is still no certainty that the Ibos will be willing to settle for anything but the loose confederation of states that they have wanted all along...
Awesome Recognition. After Flight 150 put down at Accra airport, the first hint of trouble came as a squad of Ghanaian security police, checking passports and looking for prospective political prisoners, strode up the aisle. With an awesome shriek, the West African enemies recognized one another. Some of the Guineans fastened their seat belts and howled with indignation; the Ghanaians unbuckled them in short order and trotted them off to prison, declaring that the Guinea delegation would be held as hostages until Guinea's President Sekou Toure repatriated "100 Ghanaians held against their will in Guinea...
...distress." Washington issued a "strong protest" to Guinea and dropped subtle hints that it might suspend its $70 million in foreign aid unless Ambassador Mcllvaine was released. Even Nigeria's military ruler, Lieut. Colonel Yakubu Gowon, was moved to send the commander of his ten-ship navy to Accra for explanations...
Finally, Sekou Toure reluctantly released Ambassador Mcllvaine and offered to pay the air fare from Conakry to Accra of any Ghanaian who wanted to be repatriated. Toure knew well enough that few would take the offer: most of the Ghanaians in Conakry are members of Nkrumah's personal entourage who, in Accra, would face jail, a trial, and perhaps a firing squad. At week's end, Ghana's strongman, Lieut. General Joseph Ankrah flew off-via a Ghana Airways jet-to Addis Ababa to talk the whole thing over. After huddling with Emperor Haile Selassie, Liberia...