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Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast - Politics - Nairaland

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Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by gbengalite(m): 1:58am On Oct 09, 2012
Nigeria concedes Bakassi to Cameroon



Ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan’s nationwide broadcast to the nation on Tuesday morning, the Federal Government on Monday night said it it had decided to comply with the judgment of the International Court of Justice awarding the disputed Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, ending weeks of speculations that the administration might seek a review of the ruling.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, said in a statement in Abuja that the committee constituted by government and a firm of international lawyers retained by government came to the conclusion that “an application for a review is virtually bound to fail“ and that “a failed application will be diplomatically damaging to Nigeria”.

“In view of the foregoing, the Federal Government is of the informed view that with less than two days to the period when the revision will be statute barred (9th October, 2012), it would be impossible for Nigeria to satisfy the requirements of Articles 61(1) -(5) of the ICJ Statute,” Mr. Adoke said in the statement.

“Government has therefore decided that it will not be in the national interest to apply for revision of the 2002 ICJ Judgment in respect of the Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria.”

He said the government “is however concerned about the plight of Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula and the allegations of human rights abuses being perpetrated against Nigerians in the Peninsula and is determined to engage Cameroon within the framework of the existing implementation mechanisms agreed to by Nigeria and Cameroon in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of Nigerians living in the Peninsula.

Nigeria, he said, “will also not relent in seeking appropriate remedies provided by international law such as the invocation of the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ; petitioning the United Nations Human Rights Council and good offices of the United Nations Secretary General which has played pivotal role in ensuring the peaceful demarcation and delimitation of the boundary between the two countries and other confidence building measures and calls on the United Nations to continue to provide assistance to the affected populations”.

Mr. Adoke’s statement, released less than 24 hours to the deadline Nigeria had to apply for a review of the ICJ ruling, confirms earlier
reports by PREMIUM TIMES that contrary to the hues and cry of many Nigerians including the Bakassi indigenes, the Federal Government had no intention of appealing the ICJ ruling.

Read full statement below.

STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, MR MOHAMMED BELLO ADOKE, SAN, CFR ON THE POSTION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA IN RESPONSE TO THE AGITATIONS FOR THE REVIEW OF THE 2002 ICJ JUDGMENT IN RESPECT OF THE LAND AND MARITIME BOUNDARY BETWEEN CAMEROON-AND NIGERIA.

1. It will be recalled that on 10th October 2002, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered judgment in Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria,which covers about 2000 kilometres extending from Lake Chad to the Sea. It will alsobe recalled that before the judgment was delivered, President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR of Nigeria and President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon gave their respective undertaking to the international community to abide by the judgment of the Court.

2. The commitment and undertakings given by both Heads of Government were confirmed by

the establishment of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC) pursuant to the Joint Communiqué adopted at a Summit Meeting on 15 November 2002 in Geneva.

The CNMC is composed of the representatives of Cameroon, Nigeria and the United Nations and is chaired by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa.

3. The CNMC has held 29 Sessions since its inception and has peacefully, amicably and successfully:

(a) brought Cameroon and Nigeria back to negotiation table;

(b) supervised the handing over of 33 ceded villages to Cameroon and 1 to Nigeria in December, 2003 and received 3 settlements and territory in Adamawa and Borno States Sectors from Cameroon in 2004;

(c) initiated the Enugu-Abakiliki-Mamfe-Mutengene Road project as part of the confidence building measures between the two countries;

(d) supervised peaceful withdrawal of Civil Administration, Military and Police Forces and transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula by Nigeria to Cameroon in 2008 in line with the modalities contained in the Greentree Agreement signed by Cameroon and Nigeria in 2006 which the United Nations, Germany, USA, France, UK and Northern Ireland witnessed; and

(e) commenced the emplacement of boundary beacons/pillars along the land boundary and initiated final mapping of the whole stretch of the boundary. It is instructive to note that about 1800 kilometres of the boundary have so far been assessed for Pillar Emplacement leaving only about 220 km to complete the assessment of the entire boundary.

4. The Greentree Agreement was also signed by H. E. Paul Biya, and President President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, on 12 June, 2006, in Long Island, Greentree, New York, USA; reaffirming their willingness to peacefully implement the judgment of the ICJ. The Agreement contains the modalities for withdrawal and transfer of authority in the Bakassi Peninsula by Nigeria to Cameroon in pursuance of the ICJ Judgment.The Follow-Up Committee comprising representatives of Nigeria and Cameroon was established to monitor the implementation of the Agreement and settle any dispute regarding the interpretation and implementation of the Agreement. Nigeria handed over the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in 2008.

5. The Statute of the International Court of Justice provides that the Judgment of the Court is final and without appeal. However, following the Resolutions of both Houses of the National Assembly calling on the Executive to take steps to apply for a review of the judgment, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR called a Stakeholders meeting comprising the leadership of the National Assembly, the Governors of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, the Members of the National Assembly from both States, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director General, National Boundary Commission to review the situation.

6. The Stakeholders Meeting after due deliberations constituted a Committee comprising of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director General, National Boundary Commission and Members of the National Assembly namely: Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN, CON, Hon. Dr. Ali Ahmed and Hon Nnena Ukaje to examine all the issues in contention and available options for Nigeria including, but not limited to the application for review of the ICJ Judgment, appropriate political and diplomatic solutions.

7. Although the judgment of the ICJ is final and not subject to appeal, the ICJ Statute provides for circumstances under which its judgment can be reviewed. The relevant provisions are:

(a) Article 61 (1) which provides that the Court can review its judgment upon the discovery of some fact of such a nature as to be a decisive factor, which fact was, when the judgment was given, unknown to the court and also to the party claiming revision, always provided that such ignorance was due not to negligence;

(b) Article 61 (4) which stipulates that application for revision must be made at least within six months of the discovery of the new fact, and

(c) Article 61(5), which provide that no application for revision may be made after the lapse of ten years from the date of the judgment.

8. The implication of the above provisions of the ICJ Statute is that a case for revision of the judgment of the court can only be successful if:

(a) the application for revision is based on the discovery of a new fact;

(b) the fact must have existed prior to the delivery of the judgment;

(c) the newly discovered fact must be of a decisive nature; and

(d) the party seeking revision (Nigeria) and the Court, must not have known of the fact at the time of the delivery of the judgment.

9. The Committee proceeded to examine the case for revision against the requirements of Article 61 of the ICJ Statute and was constrained to observe from the oral presentations made to it by the proponents of the revision that the strict requirements of Article 61 could not be satisfied. This is because their presentation was unable to show that Nigeria has discovered a decisive fact that was unknown to her before the ICJ judgment, which is capable of swaying the Court to decide in its favour.This is more so as most of the issues canvassed in support of the case for a revision of the ICJ judgment had been canvassed and pronounced upon by the ICJ in its 2002 judgment.

10. The Federal Government also retained a firm of international Legal Practitioners to advise on the merits and demerits of the case for revision. The firm after considering all the materials that were placed at its disposal against the requirements of Article 61 of the ICJ Statute came to the reasoned conclusion that “an application for a review is virtually bound to fail“ and that “a failed application will be diplomatically damaging to Nigeria”.

11. In view of the foregoing, the Federal Government is of the informed view that with less than two days to the period when the revision will be statute barred (9th October, 2012), it would be impossible for Nigeria to satisfy the requirements of Articles 61(1) -(5) of the ICJ Statute.Government has therefore decided that it will not be in the national interest to apply for revision of the 2002 ICJ Judgment in respect of the Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria.

12. Government is however concerned about the plight of Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula and the allegations of human rights abuses being perpetrated against Nigerians in the Peninsula and is determined to engage Cameroon within the framework of the existing implementation mechanisms agreed to by Nigeria and Cameroon in order to protect the rights and livelihoods of Nigerians living in the Peninsula. Nigeria will also not relent in seeking appropriate remedies provided by international law such as the invocation of the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ; Petitioning the United Nations Human Rights Council and good offices of the United Nations Secretary General which has played pivotal role in ensuring the peaceful demarcation and delimitation of the boundary between the two countries and other confidence building measures and calls on the United Nations to continue to provide assistance to the affected populations.

13. Finally the Federal Government wishes to assure all Nigerians especially the people living in the Bakassi Peninsula of its determination to explore all avenues necessary to protect their interests including but not limited to negotiations aimed at buying back the territory, if feasible, the convening of bilateral meeting of the Heads of State and Government to ensure protection and development of the affected population.In the meantime, we call on all well meaning Nigerians in the Bakassi peninsula to be law abiding and to allow the various initiatives being undertaken by the Federal Government to bear fruitful results



http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/newsflash/nigeria-concedes-bakassi-to-cameroon.html
twitter: @gbengalite
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by gbengalite(m): 2:01am On Oct 09, 2012
This is what GEJ wants to address Us with today @7am
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by gbengalite(m): 2:37am On Oct 09, 2012
Any diff opinion to this??
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Nobody: 3:02am On Oct 09, 2012
.
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Callotti: 3:12am On Oct 09, 2012
Like it had a 'choice'?
Niggerzzzzz please! grin
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Awake9ja(m): 5:20am On Oct 09, 2012
let the bakasi pple take their survival in their own hands.

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by godello: 5:56am On Oct 09, 2012
This is bullshit. Bakassi stand up and fight if u wish. Nigeria's hand is washed off!
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by free2ryhme: 6:25am On Oct 09, 2012
what a shame undecided
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Nobody: 6:26am On Oct 09, 2012
Hopefully, the Igbos will be next..
Azikiwe, we don taya o..
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by OYINBOGOJU(m): 6:27am On Oct 09, 2012
I will/must take this land back.

God bless tomorrow.
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by OYINBOGOJU(m): 6:29am On Oct 09, 2012
Jonathan has brought more than enough pain to her people.

What a coward way to concede a defeat.

God this is not the brave country I used to know.

6 Likes

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by godstino(m): 6:31am On Oct 09, 2012
I DETEST THIS PUSILANIMOUS GEJ AND HIS FIDUS ACHATES WITH PASSION FOR DOING THIS..HE WILL SURELY ROT IN HELL.
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by OYINBOGOJU(m): 6:32am On Oct 09, 2012
I'm tired of seing mothers crying.
Tired of seing children crying.
Tired of those sad faces....

Uncle Jona why have you done this to your people?
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Igbanibo: 6:35am On Oct 09, 2012
Obj should be publicly flogged for this.

5 Likes

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by chucky234(m): 6:36am On Oct 09, 2012
I feel for those Bakassi people and the trauma they have to live with for God knows how long,Gowon is a monster and should be hanged.
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Nobody: 6:38am On Oct 09, 2012
So glad i wont be listening to the crap GEJ wants to spew.i dont blame the govt cos' none of their family members are in bakakssi penusula.the statement that hurts me the most is “an application for a review is virtually
bound to fail“ and that “a failed application
will be diplomatically damaging to Nigeria”.
WTF!

Cant believe our govt are now scared of fighting for whats right even if heaven will fall.are we now scared of cameroun...if i had my way, i will wipe our foolish govt.none of them deserves to be alive...bunch of HEDIOTS!!

2 Likes

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Nobody: 6:44am On Oct 09, 2012
lalaosky: !
Hi smiley

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by ige101(m): 6:46am On Oct 09, 2012
OYINBOGOJU: Jonathan has brought more than enough pain to her people.

What a coward way to concede a defeat.

God this is not the brave country I used to know.
I hate when people criticize someone unnecessarily .Its a pity u cant read a bold hand writting writting on the wall.is it not obvious u will definitely loose the appeal ?
To me this is the best thing he should do and u know it is over now ,so rest ur case after all u people didn't kill OBJ when he agreed to abide by the ruling then.After 9 years,11 months and some days to go u are calling for GEJ to be beheaded ,what a nation

3 Likes

Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by honeric01(m): 6:47am On Oct 09, 2012
Were you guys expecting anything better before?
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by honeric01(m): 6:48am On Oct 09, 2012
Shollypopz:
Hi smiley

@ Even if Obasanjo was corrupt, I can bet that this won't and cannot happen in his regime, who born dem??!! The guy na no-nonsense man!

This "shoe-less", coward of a President sef don dey irritate person......smh!

But wait o, who gave Bakassi out in the first place? i mean who agreed years ago to allow Bakassi go back to Cameroon?
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by boron10(m): 6:49am On Oct 09, 2012
Callotti: Like it had a 'choice'?
Niggerzzzzz please! grin
It is not a must to comment. Why are you always against anything Nigeria? And to think that you're a Nigerian and have families here. It's quite Dismal
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by simplemach(m): 6:55am On Oct 09, 2012
so sory 4 my dear country
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by dBard: 6:55am On Oct 09, 2012
lalaosky: So glad i wont be listening to the crap GEJ wants to spew.i dont blame the govt cos' none of their family members are in bakakssi penusula.the statement that hurts me the most is “an application for a review is virtually
bound to fail“ and that “a failed application
will be diplomatically damaging to Nigeria”.
WTF!

Cant believe our govt are now scared of fighting for whats right even if heaven will fall.are we now scared of cameroun...if i had my way, i will wipe our foolish govt.none of them deserves to be alive...bunch of HEDIOTS!!
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by vichofu(m): 6:57am On Oct 09, 2012
OBJ had no evidence to show dat Bakassi Penusilla is rightly ours, so he jst had to conceed to ICJ's rulling.........buh the 'shoe-less' coward of a president has got Evidence. He's jst cowardly choosing not to use it....SMH in ijaw
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by ujukala: 6:57am On Oct 09, 2012
I find it difficult to say 'goodbye' but God knows the best.
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Chuksgeo: 6:57am On Oct 09, 2012
GEJ is a coward with those bunch of empty brains claiming to be legal luminaries headed by mohamed adoke, Bakassi belongs to Biafra cum nigeria, posterity will never forgive GEJ and adoke with his team, useless reason of 'diplomatically damaging nigeria's image' who even send nigeria before now. COWARDS!!!
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by etunoman76(m): 6:57am On Oct 09, 2012
My concern is mainly for the people of Bakassi. What becomes of them after this, considering the fact that our govt on all levels are so slow to act on their promises. I just hope and pray the people are not left to their fate. God help us!!!
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Godjone(m): 7:00am On Oct 09, 2012
I weep 4 d ppl of bakasi. The torment they are 2 reciev from cameroon has just started and will linger forever. We are having a situation wia our leaders show no empathy to the cause of the common Nigerian. The ancestral home of this Nigerians has gone forever and now they are subjected to a an un-explained dillema. Ryt now, the people of bakasi penisula are terribly in serious coma and dont know who they should be refered to as. The question on their lips always is this: where is our home? Where is our future? Where is our country? What is the future of our children alive and those yet un-born? Are we still Nigerians or cameroonians? All is question and more should be a matter of utmost impotance to the rest of us.... Why has the govt of Gej and past administratiön failled to appeal the I.C.J judgement? The i dont care attitude of our leaders in the past and present will be held responsible 4 the agony the bakasi ppl will live with. I remember vividly lady Ita Giwa of the Nigerian house of senete. She has bin clamouring and champiöning the bakasi cause since the ICJ decision but our directionless leaders paid sealed-lips to her effort. Now the reality is here with us. Our land filled with minerals and natural resources is gone. This pity situation absolutely calls for sobber reflectiön and national mourning... ! Rest in peace ceeded bakasi peninsula!!!
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by dBard: 7:02am On Oct 09, 2012
the appeal was Bound t fail. u can't wait f 9 angryyrs den now want to fire brigade ur way thru. Even d judge wouldnt ve taken us seriously n d consequences,diplomatically would ve bin very damaging. The Govt is Right on this.
You don't pick fights u can't win.
Lets buy back d territory. didn't America buy back Alaska? don't d politicians loot more?! free GET joor
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Ariyke: 7:03am On Oct 09, 2012
So Bakassi is nw gone for good or what? undecided
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by Kobojunkie: 7:05am On Oct 09, 2012
Callotti: Like it had a 'choice'?
Niggerzzzzz please! grin

ROFLMAO!!!! grin grin cheesy cheesy grin grin grin cheesy cheesy
Re: Nigeria Finally Concedes Bakassi To Cameroon: Ahead Of Tuesday's Broadcast by wirinet(m): 7:12am On Oct 09, 2012
I have never been a supporter of GEJ, but on this one he got it right. Appealing the ICJ judgement would have been a political and diplomatic blunder. We made the fatal blunder of submitting to the ICJ in the first case, once we did that the Destiny of bakassi left our hands.

The most important thing now is to build houses and infrastructure for the new bakassi settlements. That would reduce the tension due to the suffering of the bakassi people.

1 Like

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