Abbycite: Suddenly, Nigeria is worth fighting for....I thought some pple don't want to be associated with d name 'Nigeria'....

Seriously, I don't xpect FG to go back to ICJ because going back would mean 'backing out of a deal'....every right thinking man in dis country would know that Nigeria would not have give up Bakassi that easily unless 'carrot' dey involve....

And pls stop blaming OBJ, he chose d best option...

don't be so insensitive. Imagine you've been calling one man 'daddy' all your life, perhaps he doesn't pay much attention to you, and puts others first, then one day, another man comes to claim you, fine, daddy 2 may seem richer and more caring, but he will NEVER understand you like the first. Better a devil you know, than an angel you don't know. Cameroon is not better than Nigeria on any basis, but if Nigerians have to leave, it won't be just cos a bunch of clueless ICJ judges said so...rather it will be to form a new country.

I feel that just like every other important issues that is in need of attention GEJ is just going to over look it. I will tell them to occupy abuja, as the people of cross river, your families,cousins, fellow nigerians to help make your plights known, and if that doesnt work, declare yourselves your own country..after all u were injusticely placed where you dont want to be.

@Post

I pray that the federal government comes to the aid of the Bakassi people. My heart bleeds for them. GEJ better hear Bakassi people out and quickly file a review before the deadline approaches because October is almost here. No one should be forced to become a citizen of a foreign country. The Bakassi people do not want to be in Cameroon and that is final. Their wishes MUST be respected. I will keep Bakassi people in my prayers.

Both OBJ and GEJ must be aware of something that majority of 9jans are ignorant of, members of the NASS inclusive.

maryjames9: I dont think Gej is the man to break the jinx and challenge the status quo. I dnt think his government has the political will to do the right thing.I believe they could even bury the evidence if possible.Our government dnt just have what it takes to fair well in international politics. I trust USA anytime anyday. They wil do evrytin to protect their interest.We are so lazy in this country to force our lazy and fat leaders to wake up to their duties. I think at the end,bakassi people wil have to take their destinies in their hands,left to Gej,they are on O Y O highland.

If GEJ and his government cannot approach ICJ on the Bakassi crisis, who then will? If the government continue to pay deaf ears, then, they should be prepare to handle the aftermath war, because, the Bakassi people I'm sure will never surrender to Cameroun.

amosy007:
sounds like conspiracy theory to me...

What will d french benefit from givin bakassi to cameroon?

The relationship France still keep with Cameroon and a lot other of her colonies tells you that if it is well with Cameroon today (Bakassi Oil), France will definitely benefit.

Chongaiman: Both OBJ and GEJ must be aware of something that majority of 9jans are ignorant of, members of the NASS inclusive.

If there is/are, its definitely there personal interests.

This is a very sad situation. God help Nigeria.

The people of Bakassi should by any means necessary resist this injustice. Its either they don't belong to Cameoon or they become independent if Nigeria (the rulers) rejects them. Am sure one day an event will naturally come up for OBJ to regrets this action publicly. My prayers go all out for the Republic of Bakassi.

http://www.omoigui.com/2004/09/bakassi_the_mar.html#more

Bakassi: The Marston report, 1982 Forwarded By Dr. Nowa Omoigui

On May 12, 1982 Professor Geoffrey Marston, LLB, LLM, Ph.D., of Cambridge University, submitted a detailed report commissioned by Nigeria, to then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief ROA Akinjide.

Marston had been commissioned in November 1981 to advise the Shagari government on the onshore and offshore boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun - in the aftermath of the incident on May 16, 1981 when Nigerian soldiers in three canoes were ambushed and killed by Camerounian soldiers.

The Professor advised that:

"The boundary regime established by the Anglo-German Agreements of 13 March 1913 and 6 July 1914 is binding on both Nigeria and Cameroun by virtue of a rule of customary international law reflected in Article 11 of the Vienna Convention on Succession of States in respect of Treaties, 1978, as well as in the Declaration of the Organization of African Unity of July 1964 and, in respect of Nigeria, the Exchange of Notes with the United Kingdom of 1 October 1960. This regime cannot thus be abrogated or modified unilaterally by either Nigeria or Cameroun."

Although, therefore, there was room to haggle over the maritime border, the case of the Bakassi peninsula itself was settled as being in Cameroun. The Professor expressly stated that he did not see how any legal claim to the peninsula as some were trying to make, could be sustained.

Indeed in his book, "Beckoned to Serve", published in 2001, former President Shagari says he hinged his demand for a Camerounian apology in 1981 on the fact that Nigeria had claimed that the soldiers were shot on the Akpa Yafi river while Cameroun claimed they were shot on the Rio-de-Rey river. To readers familiar with the geography of that area, the fact that Shagari says Cameroun owed an apology for the shooting on Akpa Yafe - but not if it had indeed occurred on the Rio-de-Rey - suggests that the former Nigerian President accepted the Akpa Yafe river as the land border (as the 1913 Treaty defined it), which would support the view that the peninsula was and is in Cameroun. I am not sure the Nigerian public at that time understood the significance of this detail.

Marston's report is an important milestone because the arguments he made back and forth in the report to Attorney General Akinjide about various potential legal approaches to the maritime problem obviously influenced the submissions Chief Akinjide made as a private lawyer on behalf of Nigeria to the ICJ in 2002 - 20 years later.

Knowing that the title of ownership of the peninsula itself was clearly stated, first by Teslim Elias in 1970, and then, independently, by Professor Marston in 1982, to be Camerounian, therefore, one wonders why Nigeria was taken on a wild goose chase at The Hague. Perhaps this is what former Police Chief MD Yusuf and former Attorney General Olu Onagoruwa meant when they both recently said the Legal team representing Nigeria was misleading the country about the facts.

Nevertheless, why defining the Nigeria-Cameroun maritime border on the basis of the 1913 treaty has been such a technical problem - and how it was addressed in 1971 and 1975 by the Yakubu Gowon Team - will be the subject of a future article.

if international court gv baka ppl referendum.den many naija region go want referendum 2.

I do blve the people of Bakassi ve a rgt 2 decide where they want 2 belong. And I also blve Nigeria will win the case this tym around wit the new found evidence. And if Cameroun refuses our Military might wld be ready 2 defend its citizen.

safarigirl: don't be so insensitive. Imagine you've been calling one man 'daddy' all your life, perhaps he doesn't pay much attention to you, and puts others first, then one day, another man comes to claim you, fine, daddy 2 may seem richer and more caring, but he will NEVER understand you like the first. Better a devil you know, than an angel you don't know. Cameroon is not better than Nigeria on any basis, but if Nigerians have to leave, it won't be just cos a bunch of clueless ICJ judges said so...rather it will be to form a new country.

nice analysis
20likes

Seriously, if u were asked to choose between Nigeria and Cameroon, which would you have chosen

fortyfeet:
The relationship France still keep with Cameroon and a lot other of her colonies tells you that if it is well with Cameroon today (Bakassi Oil), France will definitely benefit.

well! Its all conspiracy theories as long as there is no perfect link to back ur claim

MUNEER2: Seriously, if u were asked to choose between Nigeria and Cameroon, which would you have chosen

Nigeria 100 times anytime any day..
Nigeria has brighter future than any other west african country put together

The thread too long joor

HNosegbe:

So who is receiving and spending the money?

you mean of everything you've read its only the money part you know or rather you are more interested in. Nigerians can never disappoint me.

I really feel for this bakassi people with this unforseen circumstances that befalls them but let them come together as one people and decide which way forward...either nigeria or cameroun or take the bull by the horn by declearing their own country.
My take on this issue is,"if gambling with bakassi people will hasten the distegration of this fake marriage called nigeria....so be it"

Biafra on the go....

Senate asks govt to appeal ceding of Bakassi peninsula

FACED with the grim prospect of permanently losing Bakassi in less than two weeks unless Nigeria takes a decisive step to intervene, the Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to appeal the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague ceding the area to Cameroun.

The ICJ in 2002 passed a judgment ceding Bakassi to Cameroun following the dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun on the area.

But former Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide, yesterday called for caution in the handling of the Bakassi matter.

On his part, renowned writer and poet, Elechi Amadi condemned what he described as the nonchalant attitude of President Goodluck Jonathan to the ceding of Bakassi to Nigeria’s eastern neighbours.

The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Abdul Ningi, in a motion on the floor of the chamber yesterday drew attention to the judgment and urged the chamber to ask the Federal Government to do something immediately.

“The Senate notes that the dateline of the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the international boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun, including Bakassi, that cedes Bakassi Island from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Cameroun, would expire by October 9, 2012, and the territory would belong to Republic of Cameroun forever.

“Notes that the judgment was erroneously based on the agreement between the British and Calabar Chiefs in 1884.

“Observes that there has never been a precedent in history where any case of this nature was executed without a referendum as enshrined by the United Nations.

“Disturbed by the lack of faithful implementation of the ‘Green Tree Agreement’ signed by both Cameroun and Nigeria thereby violating the basis of the implementation of the court judgment. Articles 3(1) and 2 (a) of the ‘Green Tree Agreement’ stipulate that, after the transfer of the territory to Cameroun, the Camerounian authorities should guarantee the Nigerian nationals living in the Bakassi Peninsula the exercise of their fundamental human rights and other relevant provisions of the international law.

“Notes further that new facts have emerged after the ruling that were not available before the first trial coupled with the absence of a Nigerian legal representation.

“Aware that Article 16 of the statute of the International Court of Justice requires appeal which include among other ‘areas of errors or unknown facts from the judgment.’

“Accordingly resolves to: Urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to invoke Article 61 of the ICJ Statute to appeal the said judgment in the interest of Nigerians in the affected areas, including Bakassi.’’

Before contributions came from the floor, President of the Senate, David Mark, noted the need to write to the executive arm on the necessity to act fast.

Ningi continued: “Bakassi should not be allowed to be history. Otherwise, many more territories in border towns in Nigeria risk being ceded in future. The parliament must speak with one voice… we must do something about it. Let the government appeal and we are ready to fund the legal processes. We are ready to contribute money to fund the legal processes.’’

Those who supported the motion included Victor Ndoma-Egba, Enyinnaya Abaribe, James Manager, Haddi Abubakar, James Solomon Ita Enang, Bassey Otu, Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, Heineken Lokpobiri and Benedict Ayaade.

Mark summed up the debate saying: “Time is not on our side. Whatever decision we take is that they will have effect. Going on appeal is a line of action we should not neglect. We subjected ourselves to the court’s authority. In spite of what the president said at the UN, I will interpret it to mean that we have obeyed what the International Court of Justice has said. We have obeyed it to this time. This Senate will protect all Nigerians irrespective of tribe and tongue.

“We should urge the Federal Government to invoke Article 61 to appeal this judgment in the interest of all Nigerians especially those in the affected areas and appeal the judgment in the interest of Nigeria as it affects Bakassi.”

The question was put with amendment and it was agreed that the Federal Government should reject ceding the territory while it should also go on appeal.

Akinjide, who was the guest speaker at the Two Division, Nigerian Army’s three-day training week, was part of the legal team that handled the Bakassi issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Nigeria.

The erstwhile minister said the issue of Bakassi was more complex contrary to the views of Nigerians.

In his paper titled “ The International Perspective of Nigerian’s Borders: Bakassi Peninsula in Retrospect, ” Akinjide pointed out that those who handled the matter had the interest of Nigeria and Bakassi people at heart.

He explained that Nigeria needed to appear for the matter because failure to do so, judgment would be given against it and would be registered at the United Nations.

“The ICJ has very learned people, we covered every ground at the court, there are a number of issues that are political in nature,” he said.

While speaking yesterday from his country home, Aluu in Obio/Akpo Local Council of Rivers State, Elechi expressed shock at the pronouncement of the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku on Federal Government’s acceptance of the world court’s judgment on Bakassi, in spite of resolutions passed by the Senate, the National Assembly and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Elechi said: “I cringe with sheer horror at the fact that the Federal Government can abandon without qualms a group of Nigerians large enough to make up a local government area which is recognized in the constitution; that it can ignore the Senate and National Assembly set up by Nigerians on excuse that their resolutions have no force of law.”

The renowned writer said that it was painful that the president could treat a matter of such magnitude with levity.

He queried: “What if the President had come from Bakassi? Would he be so nonchalant about the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun? Are the people of Bakassi second-class citizens? Are they not covered by the UN Charter of Fundamental Human rights? Whose interest is the president serving, Nigeria’s or his?”

Elechi noted that defending Nigerian citizens was an obligation of the president, adding that he found it agonizing to see that any one could sign away a chunk of Nigeria and the people with a mere flourish of the pen to please a neighbouring country.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99900:senate-asks-govt-to-appeal-ceding-of-bakassi-peninsula-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

Abbycite: Suddenly, Nigeria is worth fighting for....I thought some pple don't want to be associated with d name 'Nigeria'....

Seriously, I don't xpect FG to go back to ICJ because going back would mean 'backing out of a deal'....every right thinking man in dis country would know that Nigeria would not have give up Bakassi that easily unless 'carrot' dey involve....

And pls stop blaming OBJ, he chose d best option...

tot as much too...all this years,we have been calling Nigeria all sort of names.they have an opportunity to denounce Nigeria and take up a new country but they r now forming patriotic.
if we shared a boundary with europe and they were seceded to Uk,we wldnt be having this conversation...

Story story...

some times i wonder if FG and AGN
are in their right and normal sences
and thinking,
how could a local govt which belongs
to cameroon will be financed and given
monthly allocations by Nigeria govt,
is this not madness?
i hope d ppl of Bakassi never knew they are
naturally blessed with such resources b4
they settled there.