House Seeks UN Plebiscite in Bakassi
Asks FG not to quit disputed territory
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja
The House of Representa-tives yesterday passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to request that the United Nations should conduct a plebiscite in Bakassi Peninsula so that the people in the area can decide whether they want to be in Nigeria or Cameroun.
Hon. Essien Ayi representing Bakassi Federal Constituency who sponsored the motion said the plebiscite would help to get the people to have a stay in their future instead of being presented a fast accompli.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at the Hague had on October 10, 2002, ceded to Cameroun the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula, whose ownership has been disputed by Nigeria and Cameroun for over two decades.
In the motion, the House stated that the Federal Government should protect the interest of the people who have the right to live in and belong to Nigeria, which is the land of their birth.
The House urged the government not to cede thee Bakassi Peninsula or any part of Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State to Cameroun unless all conditions listed in the 1999 Constitution are complied with.
The lawmakers also resolved that, "Until all the conditions precedent provided in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all relevant laws, treaties and conventions are fulfilled, Bakassi Local Government Area shall continue to exist and be administered by Bakassi Local Government Council in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Cross River State Local Government Law and any other law pursuant to the 1999 Constitution in respect thereto".
Other positions taken by the lawmakers on the Bakassi issue included that, "All legal and political remedies open to the people of Bakassi particularly the right to self determination provided for in Article 1 of 1966 International Assembly Resolution 2200A be exhausted".
The lawmakers also asked the Federal Government to ensure that all parts of the country ceded to Cameroun in compliance with the ICJ ruling over the disputed peninsula be returned to Nigeria, and to set up a committee to study the judgment and report back to the House before September 15 2004.
During the debate of the motion, the House rejected a suggestion by Hon Independence Ogunewe that it should resolve to ask the President to disregard the decision of the ICJ as was done by Israel when it disobeyed the court's directives to stop construction of walls to separate Palestinians from Israelis.
Deputy Speaker, Austin Opara, who presided did not even allow the amendment to be put to vote before over-ruling it.
While presenting the motion, Ayi said the constitution recognised Bakassi since it was one of the Local government Areas listed in it, contending that unless the constitution was amended, Bakassi could not be expunged from being part of the country.
He noted that though the people of Bakassi entered into a Treaty of protection in 1884 with Britain, they did not in anyway cede their sovereignty from old Calabar to Britain.
He recalled with shock, the decision of the World Court ceding the place to Cameroun in disregard to the fact that the Bakassi people being part of Nigeria have always been represented in all tiers of government in Nigeria.
Several contributors to the motion were of the opinion that every thing should be done to preserve the origin of the people of Bakassi who they felt would suffer untold trauma and hardship if asked to move out of their ancestral homes.
Addressing the press later, Ayi who led a cross section of the Bakassi people on a visit to Speaker Aminu Bello Masari warned of untold consequences in the event that the people are forced to relocate into a nationality that is against their wish.
If plans by the United Nations are kept to, it is expected that the peninsula would be handed over to Cameroun on September 18 so that it can take administrative and territorial control.
Following the ICJ ruling the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan set up the Cameroun-Nigeria Mixed Commission at the request of the presidents of the two nations'. Troops were withdrawn and authority was transferred in the Lake Chad area at the northeastern end of the border in December 2003, the first step in the handover.
Historically, Britain handed the peninsula to Germany during the 19th century despite a treaty of protection between Britain and the local rulers.
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