Leadership (Abuja)
Godwin Emakpe
23 April 2008
Abuja — A Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday this week, decide on whether to stop the federal government of Nigeria from ceding the remaining part of Bakassi (Abana and Atabong zones) to Cameroon or not.
Counsel to some prominent men from Bakassi, Mr. Kayode Fasetire, moved a motion asking the court for an order, stopping the federal government from ceding the remaining parts of Bakassi to Cameroon.
The federal government was not represented by any counsel. Justice Adamu Bello, however, adjourned the matter to April 25, 2008 to hear the side of the federal government or rule on the motion for stay of exclusion of ceding the remaining parts of Bakassi.
Two former chairmen of Bakassi local government, Chief Emmanuel Etene and Hon. Ani Esin led eight plaintiffs to a Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking its order to compel the government to pay N456 billion as compensation for ceding their land to Cameroon.
Specifically, they are demanding the sum of N356 billion as compensation from the government for ceding "their ancestral homes and land and their source of livelihood to Cameroon in an unconstitutional manner. And N100 billion for undermining their right to dignity, to acquire and own immovable property, and to self determination".
They are also asking the court to restrain the federal government, from relocating the administrative headquarters of Bakassi from Abana to any other place.
The plaintiff also challenged the resettlement of the victims of the ceded areas to the newly created Bakassi local government by legislative fiat and the relocation of the headquarters without compliance with constitutional provision is inchoate.
"The said new Bakassi is already inhabited by people other than Bakassi people, and the inhabitants are hostile to the Bakassi refugees", they added.
Furthermore, they contended that the new Bakassi is landlocked and ideal for farmers and not fishermen like them.
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