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CAT A LAGOS TO PRIORITY FCO TELN& 451 ,INFO PRIORITY BRIDGETOWN, T*QJ(nHE GEORGETOWN AND PORT OF SPAIN. I BRIGETWON TELNQ 104 TO FCOt NIGERIA AND THE COMMONWEALTH 1 . IT IS TRUE THAT THE NIGERIA MEDIA OCCASIONALLY CARRIES PIECES, LARGELY BY RADICAL ACADEMICS AND STUDE^iS, QUESTION INS THE VALUE OF COJ4MONWEALTH MEMBERSHIP JE NIGERIA AND CALLING ON NIGERIA TO LEAVE. BUT THESE VIEWS ARE NOT (NOT) SHARED IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES. 2. THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF LORD THOMSON HAVING TO USE HIS TIME HERE TO PERSUADE NIGERIA TO 'STAY IN THE COMMONWEALTH, OBASANJO TOLDEQIM THAT NIGERIA HAD CONSIDERABLE J"AITH IN THE COMMONWEALTH BECAUSE OF WHAT IT STOOD FORi AND 6ARBA, W I L E REFERRING TO RADICAL PRESSURE AMD SAYING THAT THE TASK OF THE CHGM WOULD BE TO CONVINCE MEMBER COUNTIRES THAT THE COMMONWEALTH REMAINED A WORTHWHILE OKGAiflSAT^qN,, SAIB-; THAT NIGERIA CONSIDERED THE COMMONWEALTH TO BE A USEFUL ORGANISATION WHICH HAD ADAPTED ITSELF TO TH£ 3. ALTHOUGH ONE CANNOt SAYpATEGORICALLY THAT, DEPENDING ON. EVENTS AT AND THE OUTCOME OF THE CHGM, NIGERIA WILL NOT REAPPRAISE HER COMMONWEALTH MEMBERSHIP,. AT PRESENT WE SEE NO (NO) SIGNS TO JRUTIJW NEWS REPORT QUOTED IN TUR. FALLE DEPARTMENTAL DISTRIBUTION ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION CCD _ n -CHG MEETING JL An HHDD D O T EAD • 0 K i ) • . • NAD 1977 CONF UNIT S A D . • ' SEAD " . . S E D - . ' .. • SWPD . W A D . • . ' P C D • • '• • • W I A D • ' • - ' " . N & TD ' .- TRED CONFIDENTIAL I