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West Africa Nigeria: Federal Gvt Sends Troops to Bakassi
West Africa Nigeria: Federal Gvt Sends Troops to Bakassi
Aug
15
2008
| Nigeria: Federal Gvt Sends Troops to Bakassi |
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 Baring any unforeseen circumstance, the disputed oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula, would tomorrow, be finally handed over to Cameroun. This is even as the Federal Government yesterday deployed more troops along the area to forestall any hindrance.Director General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Alhaji Sadiq Diggi, said yesterday that security had been beefed up in the area to ensure a peaceful handover. He said that security agencies had been fully mobilised and doing everything possible for a successful exercise. "The Inspector General of Police (IGP), has put all modalities in place as far as police is concerned likewise other security agencies. "Everybody is fully aware and doing everything possible to make sure that the final hand over of the remaining part of Bakassi to Cameroun is successful," Diggi said. He noted that the Federal Government as at last year released the sum of N1 billion for the welfare of the 30,000 people of Bakassi comprising Abana and Achibong towns. "As far as I am concern the Federal Government had lived up to expectation for the Bakassi resettlement programme. Last year it released the sum of N1 billion to them," he said. Similarly, Diggi said that handing over Bakassi to Cameroon had nothing to do with the Nigerian map stressing that it had never been on the map. Indeed, after over four years of debate among Nigerians on whether to obey the painful ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directing Nigeria to hand over Bakassi to Cameroun, the Federal Government yesterday declared that all is now set for the for the official handover of the once Nigeria territory. In spite of the numerous legal suits by various stakeholders against the government not to go ahead with the handover, the presidency declared there was no going back. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday directed the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakka to go ahead and perform the official handing over of the controversial Bakassi peninsular tomorrow as part of the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) between Nigeria and Cameroun. The President, in his decision, is relying on the March 19, 2004 ruling of Justice S.J. Adah of the Federal High Court, declaring that the ruling of the ICJ "is binding on both Nigeria and Cameroun which are sovereign members of the United Nations". Fielding questions from state house correspondents, the special adviser to the President on communications, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, confirmed "the exchange of territories, including Bakassi peninsular, under the auspices of the United Nations, will happen on Thursday across the country". He stated that "this handing over process, as painful as it is for everyone including the president, is a commitment we have made to the international community and we have a responsibility to keep to it" "The Attorney General of the Federation who will formalise the hand-over process has made it very clear that he would rely on the march 19, 2004 ruling of the Federal High Court delivered by Justice S.J. Adah". "I am not a lawyer but I have been told that Nigeria's legal system has provisions for this kind of situation where courts of concurrent jurisdiction would give different ruling on the same issue. I am also aware that the Federal Government last week formally sought and obtained the Certified True Copy of Justice Adah's ruling" which confirmed this position; he argued. The Justice Adah's ruling in part read: "From the further affidavits of the plaintiffs it is clear that there was a dispute over the boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered judgment dated 10th October 2002. The part of the Territory these plaintiffs have brought before this Court was involved in the area litigated upon at the ICJ. Since the issue had been determined at that level, the decision binds all sovereign states that are members of the United Nations and no member state can assume jurisdiction to review again what has been decided by the ICJ". Adeniyi however, pointed out that "what has been of concern to the President and will be a priority to him is the welfare of the people of Bakassi as bonafide citizens of Nigeria who have found themselves in a territory legally given to another country. I can assure you that efforts have been made to ensure their comfort and to date about N3 billion has been released by the Federal Government for their resettlement while another N1 billion was released for those in Borno state who lost territories to Chad in the same ICJ ruling." Source: Daily Champion Set as favorite Bookmark
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