₦airaland Forum

MORE FACTS COMING ON THE HEEL OF BAKASSI ISSUE AND THE NEED TO ASK FOR REVIEW OF THE ICJ RULING

Bakassi people rally as controversy trails Elias, Wachuku positions
On September 29, 2012 · In Headlines
12:54 am


By HUGO ODIOGOR
Displaced indigenes of Bakassi Peninsula will hold rallies in different parts of the world today to highlight the injustice that has been visited on them by the ceding of their homeland by the Federal Government without their consent.

With less than 10 days for the Jonathan led administration to take a second look at the October 1 2002 ,International Court of Justice judgment that ceded the Peninsula to Cameroon where there is apprehension as the Central African country tightens its grip.

Saturday Vanguard was reliably informed that the indigenous Bakassi population would hold rallies in Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, London, Germany, France, The Hague among others.

They said that the foundation for the ceding of Bakassi by the Federal Government was laid by a clause in an advise given to the government by the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Taslim Oluwole Elias, during the Yakubu Gowon’s regime, that Nigeria should allow Cameroon take over the peninsula because of the country’s assistance to it during the Nigeria- Biafran civil war, wondering why some indigenous communities would be donated to another country based on such flimsy excuses.

Bakassi protesters Photo by Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Elias, had in his advise entitled ‘’Nigeria/ Cameroun Boundary Demarcation,” dated September 3, 1970 stated, ’The principle of good faith in international relations demands that Nigeria should not disavow her word of honour,” adding that ‘’every effort should be exerted on our side to ensure that Nigeria does not show ingratitude to a sister country that stood by us during the civil war.

Accordingly, I strongly urge that these recommendations of the Nigerian – Cameroun’s Joint Boundary Commission dated August 14, 1970 should be implemented expeditiously…”

The Jonathan administration seem not prepared to comply with Article 61 of the ICJ Charter by approaching the court to review the judgment obtained by concealment of vital facts from the world jurists by both Nigeria and Cameroon.

This is even as Cameroon is alleged to be massing troops in the borders just as the movement of indigenes of Bakassi into Nigeria is heavily monitored.

According to sources, Bakassi people are also cut off from streams of information while efforts have been intensified by Cameroon to force thousands of the natives to change their names and language to French and to leave the peninsula in violation of the Green Tree Agreement, GTA.

Mr. Ani Esin, a former local government Chairman for Bakassi Local Government told Saturday Vanguard that since the uproar in Nigeria, following the publications by the Vanguard Newspaper, the Cameroonian government has been emboldened by the reluctance of the Federal government to demand for a revisit of the ICJ rulings to send troops into the peninsula to expel the indigenous population; force them out of their territory and occupy their property.

He said “The people of Bakassi who had hoped that the Jonathan administration will revisit to issue have become dejected as it appears that those who gave away Bakassi would not want to be exposed for the injustice committed against us. This is why the Pirate confraternity has been mobilising the public for a mass rally while we explore the option of forming a government in exile to continue the struggle after October 10, 2012”.

It was learnt that in Yaounde, the Cameroonian authorities are in panic following revelations that ICJ was misled into believing that the moribund 1913 Anglo-German treaty and the unsigned 1975 Maroua declarations were the only legal documents that set the Land and Maritime boundaries between Nigeria and the Cameroun.

The Legal Opinion of Justice T.O. Elias

Meanwhile, the last may not have been heard of the administrative and legal tardiness that were employed to mislead the ICJ to concede Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

Specifically, the legal opinion provided by Chief Elias and the Diplomatic Note written by Mr. Aja Wachuku as the External Affairs Minister have come up for scrutiny.

Some members of Nigerian defence team have continued to cite those documents as evidences that Bakassi Peninsula was part of Cameroon based on the 1913 Anglo German Treaty, which some claimed that Nigeria was obliged to uphold on attainment of independence on October 1,1960.

Prince Bola Ajibola SAN, who wrote a minority judgement at the Hague told Saturday Vanguard the Nigeria’s case was weakened ‘’because of what happened in the 1913 in the Anglo-German Agreement,” pointing out that, ‘’it was since then that we have this uphill task because it was Britain that ceded the whole of that Bakassi area, well described in Article 21 and 22 of that agreement, specifically to Germany.”

However, it has been discovered the agreement dated March 11, 1913 was not signed until Germany was defeated during the First World War, hence it was deprived of the Bakassi Peninsula as Bakassi was ceded to France, which thereafter, gave independence to Cameroun that now got involved in the boundary dispute.

Both Senator Ewah Bassey- Henshaw and Prof. Walter Ofonagoro told Saturday Vanguard that the documents cited by the Nigerian defence team were ‘’mischievously used to mislead those who are not familiar with the issues especially to achieve a predetermined goal.”

Senator Henshaw said that until recently, most Nigerian government officials have regarded the 1913 Anglo-German Treaty as a living document but it was fundamentally flawed by the fact that it was not signed before the outbreak of the First World War after which Germany was stripped of all its colonial territories, making the treaty useless.

It was of no effect because all German territories were transferred to the League of Nations. Hensahaw further said, “those who have been citing the Aja Wachuku Diplomatic note and Dr. T.O Elias legal opinion have substantially relied on the belief that the Anglo- Nigeria Treaty was a living document, but this is not true.”

Also, Nella Andem Rabana SAN who was part of Nigeria’s team to the Hague said nations do not concede territories on exchange of diplomatic note or on legal opinion that are outside the stipulations of the parliament, which was one of the key institutions on Nigeria’s attainment of independence in 1960. Bakassi Peninsula was recognised as part of the Nigerian territory in the 1963 Constitution and in the Cairo 1964 OUA summit, it was resolved that all colonial boundaries inherited at independence should be inviolated.

Furthermore, Prof. Ofonagoro said Nigeria and Cameroon decided to bind themselves with a document that was dead and had no force of law. He said “It is evident that Dr. Elias placed extra-ordinary weight on the work of the Nigeria/Cameroon Joint Commission which met at Yaoundé from August 12 to 14, 1970.

He said, ‘’The major decisions taken at that meeting, after considerable discussion”, was that the Joint Commission agreed to use the 1913 Anglo-German Treaty” as the basis for demarcating the boundary. It is obvious that this decision was made without seeking guidance from either the Attorney General, or the Honorable Minister of Transport through the office of the Head of State, otherwise, Dr. Elias would not be referring to decisions reached at the Yaoundé meeting of August 12-14, 1970.

The vital decision had been taken at that meeting of the Joint Commission, at which the most senior Nigerian official present was the Federal Director of Surveys. Once that decision had been taken, there was no escaping the implications of Article 20 of the Anglo-German Treaty of March 11, 1913, which stipulated that;

“Should the lower course of the Akwa Yafe so change its mouth as to transfer it to the Rio Del Rey, it is agreed that the area now known as the Bakassi peninsula shall remain German territory. In the said Legal Opinion, Dr. Elias further drew attention to “the exchange of notes between Nigeria and the United Kingdom on October 1, 1960 which binds Nigeria to honour obligations entered into on our behalf by the United Kingdom.

The implication of this statement is that the External Affairs Ministry considered the 1913 Agreement as one of the pre-independence treaties entered into by Britain on Nigeria’s behalf. The diplomatic Note which was cited as evidence that the Bakassi peninsula was based on the above assumption. Dr. Elias did not, however, make any pronouncement on the legal validity of that treaty.

He only referred to decisions already taken by the Yaoundé meeting of the Nigerian-Cameroon border commission to adopt the 1913 Treaty as the basis for their boundary demarcation negotiations.

The commitment had already been made in August 12-14, of 1971 and he was of the opinion that Nigeria was bound by it.In fact, the Nigerian legal team at the ICJ had this to say about the legal validity of the Anglo-German Agreement of March 11, 1913:

In relation to the Treaty of Versailles, Nigeria points out that Article 289 thereof provided for “the revival of pre-war bi-lateral treaties concluded by Germany on notification to Germany by the other party.” It contends that since Great Britain had taken no steps under Article 289 to revive the Agreement of March 11, 1913, it was accordingly abrogated.

‘’Former President Shehu Shagari was advised that the treaty was voidable by a Task Force that he appointed in 1981, to study the controversial 1913 Anglo-German Treaty. The committee concluded that the 1913 Agreement was voidable.

This was also the position reached by Professor Bassey Atte in a study of this subject saying that the 1913 Anglo-German Agreement “which purported to alter the status quo to Nigeria’s disadvantage, is subject to great controversy as to its legality.”

Prof. Ofonanagoro argued further that the opinion of Elias on the matter was limited by the fact that he was not at the Yaoundé Summit of the two Heads of State, on April 4, 1971, and that the famous Ngo/Coker, was first drawn to a 3-mile limit from the Akwa Yafe River, westwards to the channel of the Cross and Calabar Rivers, placing Bakassi on the Cameroonian side of this new boundary.”

“If Dr. Elias knew about this boundary by September 3, 1970, eight months before Yaoundé Summit, where the Ngo/Coker line was agreed , then it means that at the highest level of the Nigerian Government, the level of the Attorney General, and presumably, his boss, the Head of State, the decision had already been taken at that time, to ignore the provision of Article 21 of the Anglo-German Treaty of March 11, 1913, and draw the boundary to the west of the Akwa Yafe River.

”In practice, the navigable channel of the Akwa Yafe was invariably forced to flow to the Bakassi north shore, and East to the Rio del Rey, and the British stated this fact in Article 20: which stated that, “Should the lower course of the Akwa Yafe so change its mouth as to transfer it to the Rio Del Rey, it is agreed that the area now known as Bakassi peninsula shall still remain German territory. Even by Article 20 of this Treaty, Bakassi is not ceded to German Cameroon; the article simply says that Bakassi shall still remain German territory.

This means that it was already “German territory” before the date of the drafting of Article 20 of that treaty. That being the case, Cameroon still has to produce the documentary basis of Bakassi becoming “German territory” in the first place.

There must be some documentary basis of Bakassi becoming German territory between April 14, 1893 and March 13, 1913, since the language of the Treaty says that Bakassi shall still remain German territory, even when by the flow of the boundary, following Akwa Yafe to Rio del Rey, it finds itself on the British side of the boundary. This is most strange to treaty law.

”In 1907, when the British and Germans had agreed that the Boundary should progress inland from the Thalweg of the Akwa Yafe, the Germans had requested for the frontier to be continued out to sea after reaching the mouth of the Akwa Yafe, all the way to the middle of the channel of the mouth of the old Calabar River.

However, according to minutes recorded by Mr. Strachey of the Foreign Office, Britain refused this request and told the Germans the “line should follow the shore of the Bakassi peninsula along the thalweg of the Akwa Yafe when the actual mouth of the river was reached.

It is therefore clear that as far back as 1907, it was generally known by both powers, that the navigable channel of the Akwa Yafe could never put Bakassi on the Cameroonian side of the border, since that channel must lie to the east of the Calabar and Cross River channels.

The heavier flow of these two bigger rivers would always force the Akwa Yafe east to Bakassi shore and the Rio Del Rey. Most often, the channel disappeared altogether, and was extremely difficult to find.

Showing comments by Nigerians

omokaro1

Prince Bola Ajibola is a fucking human being that needs to be ignore! If he is not a liar, why was the right of bakassi people not acknowledged by ICJ?

kelvin99

I'm so sorry but this guy sounds like a coward,now I know why we lost the case at Hague court.Imagine who represented us in such a sensitive case,shame.

NWA_Africa

It
is strange that Ajibola is talking like this; you and OBJ should be ashamed of
how you allowed Bakassi to go to Cameroun. Gowon and OBJ prepared and fought Biafra
but the same OBJ fears Cameroun because of their so called war power that will
assist them. This is arrant nonsense. Prince Bola, please tell us the war
France have entered and won? So the money our military is getting every month
is for what? If we fears Cameroun because of France then it is better that we immediately
disband our so called army as they are not worthy to called Nigeria Army. Tomorrow
Benin Republic we come and we will run away because of world power.



Onwuzurigbo

I have no pity for Bakassi. It was sold by the Hausa and Yoruba and abandoned by its own South South son.



tony

jesus!!no wonder jonathan keep mute on this matter..he is listening to this type of people all along..why do we have to chicken out because so called powerful countries are behind cameroundid argentina back off from their land tussle with britain simply because britain is more powerful and have powerful allies..prof achebe put it in the most simplest way..the trouble with nigeria is purely bad leadership..How can this ajibola be saying that treaties made by alien powers supersede the rights of indigenes of the placeif its true that nigeria started including bakkassi from 1961 why did gowon allow cameroun to man bakkassi area during the civil warmr ajibola said that nigeria failed to put their house in order at independence but refuse to say what exactly happened and what the status quo was before and after independence..cameroun was able to win bakkassi by doing what every land grabber does..they place their claims deep into nigeria and nigeria see themselves struggling to reclaim what rightfully belong to them ..I know that ajobode must have read prof ofonagoro's submission on this matter,i didnt see him rejecting the treaty between germany and britain,ofonagoro's stance was what make abacha to send troops to protect bakkassi..lastly why is OBj in a hurry to sign the green tree when he knows that there can be review??what is he afraid ofi have heard people said that nigeria will lose face if it ask for review..what face do nigeria have when they were beaten by little camerounwe have jerks and idiots as leaders..sorry i have to put it this way..

The truth about Bakassi, Nigeria and Cameroun – Bola Ajibola
On September 29, 2012 · In Special Report
4:09 am


By Bashir Adefaka
Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), former Nigerian Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, was on the Panel of Judges, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which decided on the issue of Bakassi between Nigeria and Cameroun.

The former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom took time off his busy schedule, even at 78, to narrate to Saturday Vanguard at his Hilltop GRA home in Abeokuta recently how the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun actually occurred. Excerpts:

You were not only a serving judge at The Hague when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave its verdict ceding Bakassi to Cameroun. What really happened and what do you say about the clamour for appeal that is presently going on?[/i]

To start with, there is nothing like appeal in our International Court of Justice (ICJ). There is nothing like that.

You see what I mean? An application can be made to review certain aspects of the judgment but not strictly speaking an appeal. So, an appeal does not lie to our court there.

All they are now doing is belated and overtaken by events. What they ought to have done is to have put their house in order before even independence and immediately after independence.

To be frank, when the situation became virtually what it is today, the Ministry of Justice, in those years in early 60s, sought for legal opinion on this matter and because of what happened in 1913 in the Anglo-German Agreement, it was since then that we have this uphill task because it was Britain that ceded the whole of that Bakassi area, well described in Article 21 and 22 of that agreement, specifically to Germany.

Germany, when it suffered defeat during the Second World War, was deprived of that area and Bakassi went to France and it was France that gave independence to Cameroun and that was how Cameroun got into it.

A lot of people have been saying a lot of things that are not really correct. In most cases, we ourselves as Nigerians bastardized our position because, as far back as 1961, we had written a note to Cameroun telling Cameroun that we Nigerians are aware of the fact that they own Bakassi!

Throughout all these 1960s and 1970s, our map of Nigeria was always indicating the excise of Bakassi out of our own land in Nigeria as part of what belongs to Cameroon. In fact, it has further been stamped by the fact that we agreed that our boundary is in Akwa Yafe as opposed to Rio del Rey. If we own Bakassi, the boundary would have been in Rio del Rey and not Akwa Yafe. We agreed to that! We Nigerians in Nigeria here.

And we even at a time asked Professor Valad in Britain to advise us on the matter and that professor told us clearly that we had an uphill task, that what we thought we owned had already been transferred to Cameroun through that treaty. That is the situation.

But there are still questions to be answered, which had already been ignored or decided against by the ICJ and you can read a lot of that in my ‘dissenting opinion’. Your see, the situation is far more than what a lot of people have been talking about.

It is what has happened beyond our time, before our time. We are now raking the misfortune of yesteryears and we are now the victims of the problems that arose before now. That was at the time of our independence.

From what you have said, where and how did General Gowon, General Obasanjo and you came into this controversy because it has been said that Gowon started it, Obasanjo gave it out and you sat on the panel that decided the case against Nigeria?[i]

No. It is wrong. They are not mentioning the names that they ought to mention, which really prejudiced our case before the ICJ. They ought to mention the name of our Minister of Foreign Affairs just immediately after our independence in 1961 that really in his note gave Bakassi to Cameroun. That should be mentioned.

We are just the unfortunate victims of what had happened before our time in Nigeria. And a lot of things happened advertently and inadvertently through our regular mistakes or misfortunes.

Then, how in the first instance, did the matter get to the ICJ?

Cameroun took us to ICJ. And let me say this, that in fact it was during the time of this litigation at the ICJ on the application by Cameroun that we started changing our map to include Bakassi (laughs).

That was the obvious and the judges are human beings. They are there equipped with evidence put in by Cameroun. It’s a case of an admission that we have taken on ourselves to cede all this area to Cameroun based even upon the 1913 Anglo-German Treaty and based on what we lawyers call pacta sunt savanda.

It is very, very unfortunate that a kettle is now calling a pot black. It ought not to be at all because the mistake or the problem started right from the beginning of our independence. Those who are now shouting ought to have started shouting at that time if they could get hold of all that we did.

But why do you think the Nigerian side appeared to be complacent over the judgment that they didn’t talk about it until now?

Let me say something here. Bakassi is not the beginning and end of the whole issue. What Cameroun took us to ICJ for was not only Bakassi. It had to do with the land in Lake Chad; the land boundary between the two of us, the land boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun from Lake Chad to the Sea as well as Bakassi and the maritime boundary. The maritime limit that they asked for and that is asking for virtually all the sea boundary of our present Nigeria.

Let me say that if they had succeeded in that, we would have been in the misfortune of having no more oil, at least the foreshore oil. We would not be so privileged any longer.

But that is not the most heinous part of the action that was taken by Cameroun. Cameroun took Nigeria to court on what we call ‘state responsibility’. It’s like a criminal charge against Nigeria. If they had succeeded in that one alone, we would have been thrown into endless debt that must be payable to Cameroun.

We never allowed that to happen because we counterclaimed against them on it, which saved us the internal slavery to Cameroun and being in perpetual penury in which we would have been till today and henceforth. We did not allow that to happen to us. But that wasn’t all.

Those who are criticizing should go and look into the judgment again and they will find out that virtually we gained generally rather than losing. Because the entire land that Cameroun had occupied in Nigeria, and we were able to ascertain that belong to Nigeria on the land boundary, far exceeded that which is now claimed in Bakassi. And we were able to claim it back from them.

Could you give a bit of the details of what we gained and what do you advise the agitators for return of Bakassi to Nigeria to do?[/i]

In Chad area, we knew that it was the ceding of the water that forced our people out of that place and since the water kept drying up, we got into that situation.

We moved out of that but they also moved out of the Southern part of that Chad which they occupied and which belong to Nigeria. But I think before they start doing anything, I mean those that are now talking, they should not look into Bakassi alone because, Bakassi is not a be-all-and-earn-all of the whole things involved in this dispute.

It is the land and maritime boundary. We gained extensively considering the claim of Cameroun against us on the maritime boundary. We gained extensively in that.

They must not be myopic, they must be objective and they must look into the whole judgment before passing any judgment further on what they may likely go back to the court for.

Again, the whole dispute had three phases, I have to say. It started with the preliminary objection on admissibility and jurisdiction.

We first of all told the court that, that action is misconceived and should not be entertained. We gave eight reasons for this but the whole thing was turned down by the court and the court rejected all those reasons .

Then the case on merit. Also, before that, there was also an application on …..on certain aspects of the case.

These people should go into our archives and be well informed and be well educated on this thing and in fact the antecedents before litigations.

They should look into it. And they should look again into the history of what is Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria and all that moved. Because the Northern Nigeria moved into Nigeria while part of Southern Nigeria went to Cameroun. So, we need to look into all that. We need to check our facts before we start talking.

Just before stop this discussion, let me quickly ask: Why is it that our Constitution still reflects Bakassi as one of the 774 Local Governments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and yet we believe, as a system that Bakassi has been ceded?

Whatever may be the problem with implementing a decision of the court is the internal problem of Nigeria and that, in itself, is strictly domestic. All we need to do is to check the Section 12 of our Constitution and put our house in order.

The international community is not concerned about that. Internationally judgment has been given against us with regard to Bakassi and that, they are aware of.

As a matter of fact there are so many things that one needs not come out with in this matter that could have happened disastrously to what is called Nigeria. And as a matter of fact, if we had done something else, there would be no Nigeria by now and arms conflicts would have taken over and there are so many countries in this world that are so friendly with the position of Cameroun because they are of the view that Cameroun has Bakassi.

Meaning that even if the verdict hasn’t favoured Cameroun, it could have declared war against Nigeria believing there are so many world powers that would come to its aid?[i]

They could because so many powerful countries in the world are behind Cameroun on this matter. We have seen that and we have been told about that. We are aware of that and actions are already going on, on that. So, we must be very careful.

And I repeat that we must be very careful. We must think again and we must look into the history. Those who are talking now must first of all go into the history and look at all that happened before independence and immediately after independence.

You see what I mean? And they should look into all the powers exercised by the colonial masters and all the international agreements and treaties. It is worth looking at and, perhaps, they should read my Dissenting Opinion.

History of Yoruba by Rev. Johnson is available in Ibadan, Nigeria. Saw an hard cover copy at Foodco stores in Ibadan few days ago, N5000 . May get in CSS bookstores.

Onitsha has always been like this,head bridge or upper iweka. If you are on your foot they will harrass you for tax clearance and some stupid documents you ve never heard of. To pack your vehicle is a big wahala, you will have to pay heavy amount. Come to the town as a commercial or bringing in goods is another nightmare.
Some years ago I missed the night bus going to Jos and was still contemplating what to do with other passengers around 7.30pm, right there a marijuana smoking guy passed us an told us not to enter the buses with curtains because they will rob us after few kilometres and that we should clear out of the pack before the boys descend on us.
I think i prefer and can handle the Lagos agberos than the Onitsha guys,there modus operandi is more or less a legal daylight robbery,assault and kidnapping.

For those blaming omojuwa please read as a background for the story

Japheth Omojuwa: On Arik Air, I admit my madness



by Japheth Omojuwa

In the Land of many victims, the man who dares the oppressor is seen to be mad. For that, I admit my madness.

I left my iPad in an Arik Air flight and that was my fault. I will not excuse that negligence on the fact that flying just days after the Dana crash I was still gripped by its horror. What is not my fault though is the fact that when I returned for the iPad, the Arik Air staff in charge of “Lost & Found” left to check the aircraft and came back saying “they said they found it and put it in your bag.” My response was sharp and simple. How did they match an untagged iPad that was not checked in with a bag that was checked in and tagged? Who gave them the permission to open my bag for them to put the iPad? I asked to make a written complaint but the Arik Air staff, Lanre, said that by speaking to him my complaint process had been completed, that there was no need to write anything. That did not go down well with me. Some have focused on the first part of the issue about why I’d forget my iPad in a plane, they conveniently ignore the part about the Arik Air staff saying they found the iPad and put it in my bag. Someone have even questioned why I’d even forget my iPad in the first place. These are angels and aliens who have never forgotten a thing in their lives. I am human and I forget, not to mention the fact that in about 35 flights this year, that was a first.

I hate to admit it but I live in a country where people have lived with being victims for decades, victimization has become the culture. Rather than take on their oppressors, many Nigerians are still counting on the day God would come down and personally take on that challenge. Here, people never see the principle behind anything, as most things are weighed in naira. For people of principle, my issue with Arik Air had stopped being about an iPad long ago, but for those whose only valuation of life and the decisions they make come from naira and kobo perception, this remains about an iPad and I needed to shut up because “it is only an iPad.” In the end, these are victims of years of oppression, people who have never stood for themselves, people who’d rather adjust to bullies but are now experts on how to treat oppressors. That in itself is normal because I come from a society of many paradoxes.

I do not have a problem with bloggers who would create any fiction out of this to get hits. Many have become the anomaly they report. I once saw a story about Nigeria’s First Lady concerning the Black Sunday plane crash. I knew from the word go it’d be a hit story but I refused to publish it because I could not see the possibility of its content being the truth even though it’d put the First Lady in bad light. Some others did publish and got their hits. For these ones, it is not about the society, it is about their blogs. The hits first, other things second.

Arik Air is yet to say a thing about this officially apart from their desperate Black List, but they have indeed been talking. They are speaking by proxy. A lot of those acting like they are giving personal opinion are indeed doing their job. You know personal opinion when you see one but when you see someone seemingly speaking his or her opinion, yet repeatedly attacks my person and repeatedly seeks amplification for same, it is hard to see that as opinion. Social Media is on the front burner and I am absolutely certain I helped a few people earn some money just by creating a need to defend a company. I only hope the pay is worth it because standing for my own rights has been worth it.

At the end of the day, I have done something few people have ever dared. Given the chance, I’d do it again! When the story is told, no one will remember the multi-coloured friends or the analysis, they will remember the ordinary man who stood against an organisation that even the government of the day had to let go. Rosa Parks was called names by fellow black men who felt her stand to sit when she could have stood up, walked away and avoid trouble was avoidable. There are iconoclasts and the strength of their reality is that they get to do what others never had the capacity to think about, let alone think possible.

I muted in a blog I’d seek a N50 million damage. It is my iPad and my content. It is my right and my prerogative. I never sought the damage but it has become the major line of the long abused victim who wonders how a man could first dare to go against the same people they in their normal state of being victims have learnt to bow to and then go a step further to even contemplate asking for that much. I never asked for that but yes, if I did, it’d be in order.

In the Land of many victims, the man who dares the oppressor is seen to be mad. I am mad.
When Arik Air was called out on their over N84 billion debt by the authorities, they never argued about the content and essence of the issues, instead, they chose to blackmail the minister of aviation Stella Oduah and diverted many from the issue. In a country where many have learnt to chase shadows, diversionary tactics have always been the tools of people who are accused of one crime or the other. It is a tactic perfected by huge debtors and serial tax defaulters. Who best fits the description than one of the subjects of this issue?

Isn’t it also ironic that the same people who heard about the issue being with Consumer Protection Council for over two months without anything to show for it would now advise me to go to court. In a country where justice resides in the court of law, that’d be a natural channel to have justice now but in a country where court judgements are for sale, I’d rather not bother. I will find justice elsewhere because I don’t have N84 billion to bribe judges from and even if I did have, I’d rather justice comes to the fore without bribe incentives. This is would be the anomaly in an average court and I am not about to pretend about it.

I stood for myself and my rights, not just as a citizen but as a consumer, most of those have been beaten into the victim mentality they will always see that as an affront on the norm they have come to accept as the preferable reality.
I have been put on a Black List by Arik Air along with some 25 others including a managing director with one of the industry regulators. That illegality was not communicated even though Arik Air conveniently collected my money last week for a flight and have since not refunded. In trying to board them last week, I had my agent book me on another flight. My attempt to board their flight was my own way of fueling the issue all over again. I knew I was never going to be allowed to fly. The Black List has only just changed the hue of the issue all over again and we will indeed be on this for a while. I am not a victim, I am a fighter and no man alive would cheat me and have an easy ride doing so. Never! That they can abuse and manipulate the system does not mean they will successfully do that with me. I am but one small, ordinary citizen but I will show that sometimes, being seemingly small is not being definitely weak.

“In our quest for justice, we will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail”

BAKASSI

Gbagaun !!

Jonathan in UN Newyork - Nigeria stands by the ICJ judgement 250912

Senate Abuja - Nigeria to ask for review of the judgement in the next 2 weeks 260912

My question - Can the senate set in motion impeachment process if GEJ refuses?

My observations-
1. Where are the Cross river and Awka Ibom guys and other south south people? No solidarity , no noise making. I can't see this happening in SE, SW or the north and the region will be silence.
2. Why did it take us 10 years after the ruling and a month to the end of review period to shout out
3. Was it because Cross River lost her oil wells that now made them woke up a little bit because they are still docile
4. How on earth did GEJ opened his mouth wide without widespread consultation. Is he suffering verbal diarrhoea or is an after effect of excessive consumption of made in Aso rock cassabread

5. GEJ is surrounded by those who are gradually digging his grave and bad advisers
6. GEJ is actually a trainee presido
7. The speed of handing over of Bakassi and non protest by OBJ and the previous senate shows that there is a conspiracy some where

Nigeria to appeal ICJ ruling on Bakassi Peninsula –Senate

September 26th, 2012

By Citizensplatform

Nigeria’s Senate Wednesday condemned the act of ceding Bakassi Peninsula without a referendum and respect to the ‘’green tree agreement’’ of the international courts of Justice.

In a motion moved by Senator Abdul Ningi, the Senate Deputy leader, the Bakassi  judgement was erroneously based on agreement between the British and not with persons that had knowledge of an agreement; hence it is not binding

The Senator argued that the “green tree agreement’’ has not be upheld and that the Nigerian nationals in the Bakassi arena should be allowed the rights to a referendum .

New facts have emerged after the ruling couple with absence of a no Nigerian representation. Article 16 of the International Courts of Justice requires appeal of the judgement  Ningi noted

What are the facts in question that the Calabar chiefs entered agreement with British colonialist who signed a treaty for the protection of Bakassi in 1884, that the Colonialist ceded the peninsula to the Germans and the Calabar chiefs and kings as at that time were not civilized enough to make agreements and as such there was no agreements and it seizes to hold according to the Senate deputy leader . There has never been an ICJ judgement of the Bakassi nature without a referendum .

Ningi argued that the Nigerians at the Peninsula are the minorities of the minority hence the culture of silence by the nation and should not be tolerated by other states of the federation

The ICJ article 62 subsection 103, this judgement is binding during a period of 10 years and any party that desires to appeal can appeal within that period. Vienna convention says every judgement entered by the International Court of Justice is seen as a treaty and such treaties will be decided on by the countries assembly.

The  1999 constitution section 12 says no treaty between the Federal Government and any other country will have the force of law except

As at now, the constitution of Nigeria recognizes bakassi peninsula as part of Nigeria, The judgement entered by International Court of Justice in 2002 is not unanimous Senator Ningi insists.

The senators urged the Federal Government of Nigeria  to invoke article 16 of the IC to prevail on Bakassi

Ndoma Egba, Senate Majority leader says they’re grounds upon which the government of Nigeria may legitimately apply for a revision of the ICJ judgment of 10th October 2002, and having adjudged those grounds as being worthy of reconsideration by the ICJ, Senator Ndoma calls on the government of Nigeria to, without further delay, apply under the Article 61 of the ICJ statute of 1946, to the ICJ for a revision of what is an unjust judgment over Bakassi

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo spearheaded the handover of the region to Cameroon, On 22 November 2007, the Nigerian Senate rejected the transfer, since the Green Tree Agreement ceding the area to Cameroon was contrary to Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

Regardless, the territory was formally transferred to Cameroon on 14 August 2008.

The ICJ delivered its judgment on 10 October 2002, finding (based principally on the Anglo-German agreements) that sovereignty over Bakassi did indeed rest with Cameroon. It instructed Nigeria to transfer possession of the peninsula, but did not require the inhabitants to move or to change their nationality. Cameroon was thus given a substantial Nigerian population and was required to protect their rights, infrastructure and welfare

SLS is a controversial man but notwithstanding he has his good sides. No doubt he is arrogant and outspoken person. I have a lot against him and his policies but I admire him for some of his actions.
Mr.Momodu failed to tell us the so called brilliant bankers who were sacked by Sanusi. There were many collateral damages in the bid to sanitise the banks which to me was quite unfair and I felt more should have been done to save the innocent staff and the shareholders.
Most of the brilliant bankers were feeding fat on our shares and were being shown on Mr.Momodus ovation magazine as the role models with their jets,mansions,estates etc. They are role models to yahoo boys.
I believe Mr. Momodu was offended by SLS because his actions affected the ovation business-no patronage by the brilliant bankers and no more loans.
This is to me a beer and pepper soup joint journalism which may earn a 2nd year student of journalism a C but an F for a through bred journalist referencing wikipedia which could have been updated by a grade 12 student. You took lot of space as an historian to lecture on HIST112 History of Modern Nigeria and description of a bully. There was no new fact and an article of this nature coming out with typographically errors.I wont be surprised that the article came up as a result of need to meet deadline.
I am actually wary of our mighty columnists because most of them will perform worse than the people they are criticising. They may turn out to be the BADDEST BOYS and GIRLS.
Please let us not put sentiments in our write ups and always be construtive.

jellyloveb: http://odili.net/news/source/2012/jul/24/518.html

It is a pity this is happening to this man.

My concerns are-
1. Why all the trouble to get him deported. Is he a such an high profile or high risk subject?
2. I doubt the genuineness of his visa status. Came in with a visitor visa and later changed
3. If they are to insert a chip in him they would have sedated him
4. He was treated as a psycho case
5. Having relief only when a plane is approaching
6. What was his health status particularly mental state before travelling to US,while in US and since returning

My recommendation is that he needed to have a mental state examination by a psychiatrist. His family members should take the initiative because he will not likely agree to go for the examination and the treatment that will follow.
They should also get in touch with his associates in Nigeria and US prior to the time he was arrested and since his return in order to get to the root of his problem.

There is no doubt that people are being used as guinea pigs for experiments but my working experience in the medical field made me doubt the experimental or conspiracy version in this case. I have dealt with many similar cases and there is an element of delusion in this case until proving otherwise.

Kirinwa: During call for first timers I unwittingly left my Bible on my chair for the altar.After that we were taken to a room and after giving us forms to fill I came back. LO AND BEHOLD MY BIBLE INCLUDING JOTTER WAS GONE!!

WE CAN HAVE A STORY WITHOUT MENTIONING NAMES. THIS PAINTS THE PARTICULAR CHURCH BAD T0 UNBELIEVERS. MANY BIG CHURCHES ALWAYS TELL THEIR VISITORS TO KEEP THEIR PROPERTIES.
WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCHES YOU SEE LOTS OF PROPERTIES LEFT BEHIND PEOPLE WiTH MOST ASSUMING THEY WERE ALREADY STOLEN. MY CHURCH USE TO GIVE OUT THESE THINGS IF NOT RECLAIMED.

The church of God is filled with all kinds of people. Hope you see it or get a better one in the near future.

ayobarmy: guys, is it possible to track multi tv on the same possition with dstv?? If yes pls i need hints on how to go about it..... Thanks

Every possible. My multi tv LNB is placed on d DSTV LNB on same dish

What is the next step? Why wait for a decade before bringing out all these new facts? Can our political leaders rectify the mistakes of the past leaders? l hope the advisers of the president will not mislead him to give up easily like OBJ did.
Nigeria should just go for it no matter what.

[quote author=Timijo]Chioma Ajunwa delivers Triplet

Nigeria first ever & only Individual Olympic Gold Medalist, Chioma Ajunwa turned Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has delivered Triplets.

Though news making rave last week was fully confirmed by Ace Sportwriter Kayode Tijani in his tweet this morning.

The Nigerian first ever Olympic gold medalist was blessed with TWO Boys and a Girl all bouncing and kicking
[quote]Please moderators should be correcting and editing all the post that are making front page. The topic is misleading and should be corrected, Chioma is not the first Nigerian olympic medalist but first gold medalist.

Congrats mama three but am concerned about her age. Chioma was already in her late 20s as of 1996 when she won gold at Atlanta, she must be in her 40s by now . Thank God for His grace

Please i need someone to help me unlock my glo modem
IMEI :- 359390029406495
SN:- DL5TAB1982404948

Thanks a lot

Nigerian commentators have already crucified this man without hearing his own aspect of the story.
We should all know that not everything on the internet is true.

Why is this thing on front page. The object been called bomb is not but a native doctor preparation meant for somebody in the office or just to scare people.
The moderators should be informed enough to know what is relevant to make front page or is it making it because it was posted by a powerful NLer.
Ok now

It seems our news and public image managers of our leaders have refused to learn from history. They released press statements that the first lady is doing well and just on holiday but the reports from Europe is stating otherwise.
Yaradua was away for months and yet we were told no problem until his dead body was brought back for burial. Same for Ethopian Zenawi and Malawi late leader.
God help Africa.

Official: Nigeria first lady hospitalized abroad

Associated Press - 3 hours ago




ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The wife of Nigeria's president remains hospitalized in Germany following a severe bout of food poisoning that's lasted for days, a government official said Tuesday.

A government official told The Associated Press that Patience Jonathan fell sick about 10 days ago, following her hosting a summit of first ladies from across Africa. As her case of food poisoning worsened, she was flown to Germany for medical treatment, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as information about Jonathan's illness had yet to be officially made public, despite numerous newspaper reports and rumors circulating on the Internet. Ayo Osinlu, a spokesman for the first lady, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

President Goodluck Jonathan has made no public comments about his wife's health.

___

Jon Gambrell report from Lagos, Nigeria. He can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Pakistan 'Koran plot' imam remanded in blasphemy case http:///vf9pvZZn

A Pakistani imam has been remanded in custody, accused of planting pages of the Koran among burnt pages in the bag of a Christian girl held for blasphemy.

The girl was detained two weeks ago near the capital Islamabad after an angry mob demanded she be punished.

Prosecutors say Imam Khalid Chishti will himself face charges of blasphemy.

The girl, named as Rimsha, is said to be about 14 and to have learning difficulties.

Imam Khalid Chishti allegedly told a witness, after tampering with the girl's bag, that this was a "way of getting rid of Christians", a prosecutor said.

The case has sparked international condemnation.

Earlier this week, a court extended Rimsha's detention at a maximum-security prison by a further two weeks.

Her father has said he fears for his daughter's life and for the safety of his family. He has called on Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon her.

Rimsha's parents have been taken into protective custody following threats, and many other Christian families have fled the neighbourhood.

Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws are often used to settle personal vendettas, correspondents say.

Last year two leading politicians were assassinated after speaking out against the legislation.

'Proven conspiracy'

Imam Chishti appeared in the Islamabad court with a white blindfold and shackled hands.

Updated 2 hrs 41 mins ago

Related News

There was a large police presence as he was ushered into the building.

Imam held in Pakistan blasphemy case

"The imam was arrested after his deputy Maulvi Zubair and two others told a magistrate he added pages from the Koran to the burnt pages brought to him by a witness," an investigator Munir Hussain Jaffri said.

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He said Mr Zubair and some others had told the imam not to interfere, urging him to "give the evidence to the police as he got it".

Stranded foreign sailors finally go home

According to Mr Jaffri, Imam Chishti had told them: "You know this is the only way to expel the Christians from this area."

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The investigator said the cleric had been arrested at his home on Saturday under Pakistan's blasphemy law.

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"By putting these pages in the ashes he also committed desecration of the Holy Koran and he is being charged with blasphemy," he said.

The girl's lawyer told AFP news agency that Rimsha "should be acquitted immediately", as it had been "fully proven that it was a conspiracy"

kettykin: The Problem is not from the Igalla people , look at the culprit belw

Wada is an Igala man

This is a childish question for kids. The major function for bb is the instant messaging function. Other functions there makes it real handy and cheaper for tgse who are always online. You can also use other smartphones for these.What will make your spouse to stop using what is very important for in your job and relationships.
Only a daft spouse will ask you not use it in this jet age.

[quote author=chillbabe]7 Access Bank Marketing staff dies of Hypertension in weeks

August 24th, 2012 by newsacross

We should see in every prostitute an accusing finger pointing firmly at society as a whole. Every love-vendor, every partner in prostitution, turns the knife in this festering and gaping wound that disfigures the world. In desperate bid to increase its capital base, Access Bank, like love-vendor, has resorted to numerous unethical practices. In desperate bid to remain in business, set unrealistic targets for their female staff insisting that they either live up to expectations or lose their jobs.

A huge number of female bankers have either lost their jobs due to non-compliance or kept the jobs by embracing what has now been tagged ‘corporate prostitution.’ While some of them have died of heart-attack. Access Bank, we hear, has even gone a step further by buying official cars for some of the ladies who go about in skimpy revealing dresses to seduce high net-worth ‘customers’ to make deposits. This ‘trade’ has been so mastered by some ladies that they don’t have to fix a date or a venue for the exploitation, as they have ‘ready-made package’ for randy depositors who wish to explore the spontaneity aspect of the business.

Aig Imoukhuede led bank has literally turned the female bankers to prostitutes and they make no pretence about it. Those who could not stand the heat are always advised to get of the system and look for jobs elsewhere.

Sadly, however, one of the female marketers, Solabomi Olugbemi of Retail Business Unit at Simbiat Abiola branch of Access Bank, died early this morning. She had being on admission for over two weeks. Her Friends and co-workers who visited her said she confided in them that she had being under a lot of stress because of Deposit Mobilization mandate (OJC) Operation. Just because the Divisional Director gave them an ear-pulling warning early this year to raise cheap funds for the bank on N1 trillion in 6months. Solabomi lost her life because of bad accounts she inherited from a product called Auto-online (Car Loan) coupled with the incident of one of her customers withdrawing 200million naira from his account which threw her balance sheet to negative.

We also gathered from an insider in the bank that Solabomi collapsed on the last day of OJC target deadline because she was unable to maintain a huge demand deposit balance. She was immediately rushed to Jolade hospital in Gbagada, Lagos but she was later taken to Military hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos where she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Young and jovial Solabomi (29 years old) who was married with 3 little children and a lovely husband died early this morning. Sources also confirmed that over 60% of access Bank staff are highly hypertensive and run the risk of heart attacks in their young age.

http://www.newsacross.com/7-access-bank-marketing-staff-dies-of-hypertension-in-weeks/


Story story story. Can u write a nollywood script. Why wait till u dropped dead before moving on. Why not allow them give u the boot before dropping dead.

[quote author=Ikengawo]no igbo woman, mind you the women's rights movement was almost completely and igbo exercise in the beginning of this nation and even today hence why igbo women are the only ones with rights in nigeria.


Amazing.

Nigerians are too tribal biased. We are been marginalised? We are this we are that. How many tribes do we have in Nigeria?how many have their people on the naira notes. Change your mentality and stop crying

Paul John: If I may ask, what's the special thing these women have done for Nigeria?
Cause I think it's only Heroes and Heroine faces that are put on any currency

Heroine
Definition
1. A woman admired or idealized for her courage or noble qualities
2. A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field.
3. The principal female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.

From the definition of Heroine, does any of these women have any of the characteristics?

My take is that the Nigerian schools are not teaching the youngsters the modern Nigerian history. However I may be wrong. I knew about these women right from my primary school days. Virtually all teenagers in Nigeria now have access to internet on their phone and can easily google these women stories.
I think the interest is more on pinging, night calls, meeting strangers on social media which eventually leads to loss of properties and lives.

[quote author=Negro_Ntns]. . . So how come no one ever heard about him in Lagos? He must have been one of those that fought with swords instead of acoustic booming canons as was the practice in Lagos. How do you think we kept ambitious Dahomey and England away for so long?

You dont have to respond now. . . .Kiriji is still the topic.

You did not heard of Lisabi because all you knew of was Kosoko story not even the full Lagos history. The Egbas are called Egba omo Lisabi. He showed the other yoruba states that Oyo warriors and their Ibadan baloguns are conquer able. .

[quote author=ACM10][/quote]It seems u are jus biased. May D has been going solo with couple of singles after Chop my money remix. FYI it was his effort on chop my moni that made the track a success and also gave him a name on naija scene. I wish all d guys d best.

[quote author=Cygnet]This is a real question and I want to get the perspective of NLanders. Every time, Ibo claims that they were betrayed when there's no proof of such but just Goebbelian propaganda they heard. However, when Yoruba soldier like Lt. Col. Victor Banjo, a competent soldier in all ramifications, decided to lead the so called Baifara expeditionary force, Ibo don't shout betrayal, WHY?? I love and respect every part of Nigeria and yes, I have been everywhere with my Ibr chips but I just want to know! Please no bashing and let us learn together!

for anybody who care to know the full story of all that happen concerning the Nigerian civil war check this site for numerous unbiased essays by the key players not NL toddlers who are busy debating beer parlour tales here.
www.dawodu.com/omoigui.htm

Moderator am disappointed in u. What is this doing on d front page. Is there anything to prove that this is Peter Okoye bedroom pic.

[quote author=Austine.E]...is Abdulrazaq Adama aka Risky,a criminal said to be terrorizing Kastina state and environs a yoruba man or the yorubas of kastina?or is he the cell leader of south west Boko haram?he was caught in Akure,the Ondo state capital and am simply confused about this frequent mention of Yorubas in connections with Boko haram.The Boko haram kano incidence not long ago also mentioned an Ibadan indigene as the kingpin!Boko Haram is getting to close for comfort![/quote]Please take time to read articles properly before commenting. Your comment was totally out of point.

Mortiple: Truth be told, the two songs are similar! Many Naija artists are intellectual property thieves who scavenge on the songs of other artists from within and outside, that many of us are not exposed to, only to change the lyrics and produce. Lazy things!!!

Flavour came to limelight through late Cardinal Rex Lawson's hit song "Ashawo". I do not reckon him as a musician.

For this nonsense to stop, the government should criminalize it. Many of these copy cats are smiling to the bank whereas the owners/beneficiaries of these intellectual property are wallowing in penury.

If the likes of Rex Lawson, Osadebe, Victor Uwaifo, etc had not produced original songs, probably we wouldn't be listening to anything today.

if u are not aware it is a common practise to re mix songs. Every modern musician have done this in one way or the other. It is not a crime so far you take permission from the owner of the copyright.
Most of Flavours hit songs are remix of old songs and what made them outstanding is that they sounded
Better than the original.
Don't crucify the guy

Naija security details I dey hail oooo. Who took those pics and video. How come dem dey there at the right time. Big question