After the civil war, General Yakubu Gowon was told by some European experts that the only way Nigeria could make real progress was for the country to pursue industrialization, because crude oil money was not sustainable. Limited in knowledge, Gowon asked his European friends what exactly industrialization entailed. They told him it was simple; that Nigeria must learn to produce engines, machines, etc.

He heeded this advice and set out on the task to industrialize Nigeria. First stop, he asked that the Biafran scientists who had produced machines during the war be assembled to spearhead the industrialization project. Dr. Felix Oragwu, a nuclear physicist, who was part of the team that produced 'Ogbunigwe,' was called to build a team in this regard.

When he was first contacted, according to him, he thought they had come for him to punish him for the role he played during the war. But eventually he went and met Gowon who mandated him to build a team of scientists. He did, deliberately including people from every part of country, even if they weren't going to contribute much, just to ensure national spread and remove any suspicion. He then presented his recommendations to the ruling military council. Part of the recommendations was that an institute be set up in Enugu where facilities already existed, and where most of the wartime scientists lived.

But once Murtala Mohammed - whom he said was never comfortable with the idea and never hid his disdain for him - heard about setting up an institute in Enugu, he flared up and accused him of trying to empower fellow rebels to wage another war against Nigeria.

Mohammed, he said, pointedly asked Gowon whether it was military government they were running or technical government; to which Gowon answered military government. He then said that since it was military government, the technicians should be thrown out of the government. And that was how the meeting ended.

I interviewed Dr. Oragwu few years ago.

-- as reported by Obinna Ezugwu.