Epitaph to Indirect Rule: A Discourse on Local Government in Africa

First published in 1956, Epitaph to Indirect Rule compares the old order of colonial government, represented by the Indirect Rule system, with the innovations of the more democratic administrative pattern introduced in the Eastern Region of Nigeria for the first time in 1950. Mr Akpan gives an account of the composition, powers, responsibilities, and financing and staffing of local government; and discusses the problems of supervision and control of the village, District, and other Councils under the new system. The author not only draws upon English experiences, but also gives a brief description of practices of local government adopted by other countries of the world--Ireland, France, Sweden, and the USA. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of African studies.

Ntieyong U. Akpan Chief Secretary of the Government and Head of the Civil Service of Eastern Nigeria (which declared itself ’Biafra’ in 1967) 1966-1970.