organized by Human Rights Activists held at Imodu Hall at Nigerian Labour Congress building, Yaba, Lagos on July 1989 to find a solution to SAP (TIMES INTERNATIONAL 11, SEPT. 1989:11). The necessity of the workshop and conference aforementioned hinges on the fact that SAP as a policy is quite inconsistent with the national interest of Nigeria.

THE NIGERIAN BOYCOTT OF THE EDINBURGH COMMONWEALTH GAMES:

Nigeria under the administration of General Babangida decided to boycott the Edinburgh Common Wealth game because of the development at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit held in Nassau, Bahamas, in October 1995. At the Summit, Nigeria’s position was that a strong stand against South Africa be taken over its obnoxious apartheid policy. This was also the position of other Commonwealth countries; but the British sought rather to block any of such move. Mrs. Thatcher argued that the South African Government should be given a bit more time to carry out more reforms to the apartheid system. The British stand on this matter did not go well with Nigeria and in protest Nigeria decided to boycott the Edinburgh games. The point to note here is that a lot of money has been spent on the Nigerian preparations for the Games which could have been spent on preparations for an alternative sport meeting for the benefit of the Nigerian sportsmen and women who had been in camp training for the Edinburgh meeting. Furthermore, the popular feeling in diplomatic and intellectual circles was that the boycott was largely the result of Bolaji Akinyemi’s strong anti-Commonwealth views. If this is anything to go by, it shows that personal interest has now influenced the boycott of Edinburgh Games Policy formulated in the name of national interest (Gabriel Olusanya, 1990:413).

NIGERIA‘S OIC MEMEBRSHIP: In January 1986, Nigeria made a formal application for full membership of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), during the administration of General Babangida. The Babangida administration argued that Nigeria’s full membership of OIC would afford Nigeria the opportunity to realize some of is most important foreign policy objectives. This is so, especially as all the members of the OIC, except Turkey are non-aligned countries. Nigeria can therefore, seek the support of these countries for the purpose of realizing her vital goals in the international System. According to General Babangida, the OIC is a forum, which Nigeria can mobilize support for the battle against racism and colonialism, and as well advance the interest of Nigeria as a nation.It should be noted that one of the stated objectives of the OIC is to combat racist and colonialist oppression all over the world and support liberation efforts directed against colonialism and racism. Nigeria, it should noted is a circular state. The attempt at registering Nigeria as a member of OIC in spite of her multi-religious nature is quite inconsistent with the spirit of national interest.

ECOMOG INTERVENTION IN LIBERIA: The intervention of ECOMOG in the Liberian crisis which started in 1989 was in line with the concept of regional peace and security. The ECOMOG which was made up of such countries as Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Togo and Mali operated in Liberia with the objective of:

a)              Imposing a cease-fire in Liberia

b)              Setting up an interim government

c)               Rehabilitation of destroyed essential services such as hospitals, electricity, water and food supplies, etc.

It should be noted that some West African countries such as Burkina Faso, Cote d’ivoire, protested against ECOMOG Operation in Liberia. According to Blaise Campaore, Captain and President of Burkina Faso, the aforementioned countries that constituted ECOMOG did not consult with other ECOWAS members before carrying out their operation in Liberia. He contended that the mediation committee of ECOWAS is not competent to intervene in a member state’s internal conflict except when there is conflict between one member-state and another. Thus, ECOMOG and its operation is illegal. In collaboration, Mr. Uchegbu, an International Lawyer argued that events in Liberia fall “within the exclusive jurisdiction of Liberia” and any attempt by any other country to interfere constitutes “unjustified interference” in the domestic affairs of Liberia. Besides the question of legality, the huge financial investment in ECOMOG operation in Liberia is contrary to national interest. The Diplomat, September 17, 1990 pointed out that the cost of the ECOMOG operation in Liberia is estimated at Fifty Million Naira (#50m). The buck of the funding it should be noted was done by Nigeria. Therefore, Nigeria’s involvement in Liberia as it concerns ECOMOG was predetermined by her concern for Africa and African future.

America had 0m worth of equipment in Liberia. The firestone Company in Liberia belongs to American citizens. And yet Mr. Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations maintained on Voice of America programme that “U.S. should focus its interest in Africa on humanitarian rather than political matters”. Mr. Young according to analyst was talking in line with American national interest. Nigeria can not justify her huge financial investment in ECOMOG operation in Liberia to be in line with national interest when back home there is growing poverty, unemployment, destitution, crime rate and violence. While Nigeria is unable to address these issues of core value she was spending heavily in ECOMOG operations at the expense of the lives of our soldiers who died in Liberia in the course of operation, and financial investment that would otherwise have been used for local investment in setting up economic ventures that could create employment and reduce poverty.

JAPANESE AMBITION TO DOMINATE FAR EAST:

After the first World War, Japan obtained many concessions at the Peace Conference, which were to some extent taken away from her by the Washington Conference of 1921-22. But Japan was determined to dominate the far East. In line with her determination she in 1931 intervene in Manchuria and in spite of League’s opposition occupied it. In 1937 Japan started an un-declared war against China and captured her cities one after another. This situation contributed immensely to the outbreak of second world war. Japanese expansionist policy was not in line with her national interest because Japan herself suffered some loss as a result of the war; besides, the Japanese citizens were exposed to the threat of attack by war (Srivastva 1984:80).

NORTH KOREA – SOUTH KOREAN CRISIS:

According to L.N. Srivastva in June, 1950 the armed forces of North Korea launched an unprovoked attack on the South Korean Republic and thus, precipitated the greatest international crises, Since the end of second world war. Due to this attack, the U.N Security Council on June 25, 1950 passed a resolution requesting all the members to refrain from giving, assistance to the North Korean authorities. The military action by North Korea was not in consonant with the concept of nation interest because it exposed the citizens to hostile reaction from the international system (Srivastva 1984:120).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is worthy to remark that the concept of national interest is associated with philosophical inconsistency. This perhaps is so because the term national interest is vague and so its vagueness a kind of give policy makers in the international system the impetus to protect and project individual or group interest using national interest as a disguise as seen in the illustrative cases above.

WORKS CITED

A. Bolaji Akinyemi: “Foreign Policy, Defence and the New Consciousness”, Nigerian Forum, April, 1981.

Address of Alhaji Ali Baba, Minister of Internal Affairs, on Aliens residing in Nigeria, and Registration of ECOWAS, Chad and Cameroon citizens on 14 Feb., 83 (Lagos Government Printer).

Bolaji Akinyemi; “Nigeria-Cameroon Dispute: Not Biafra’s Revenge”, The Punch, 11 June, 1981.

Gabriel O. Olusanya, R.A. Akindele (ed) (1990): The Structure and Process of Foreign Policy Making and Implementation in Nigeria 1960-1990. NIIA, Lagos.

L.N. Srivastva (1984): International Relation (From 1914 To Present Day). Surject Book Depot (Regd) Nai Serak, Delhi.

Morton H. Halperin (1974); Bureaucratic Polities and Foreign Policy. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution.

The Diplomat, September 17, 1990.

The Guardian, May 17, 1993.

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