Leadership (Abuja)
Andrew Oota
17 July 2008
Abuja — The Chief of Defence Staff, General Owoye Azazi, yesterday told the Senate ad-hoc committee on the Green Tree Agreement that the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, did not consult the military before the cession of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
General Azazi also told the panel that the fighting between Nigeria and Cameroon over Bakassi is courting the attention of France and would likely result into war, giving the recent pact between France and Cameroon.
He said, "I am not sure that the military made any contribution to the Green Tree Agreement, but I know that the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai, travelled with the former President to New York when the agreement was signed."
The military Chief also said ceding Bakassi to Cameroon was not in the interest of Nigeria's security as the area would take over the deep marine routes, leaving Nigeria with shallow waters which cannot be navigated.
He said the area is more strategic to Nigeria than it is to Cameroon.
His words: "I want to believe that if anything happens between Nigeria and Cameroon, the defence treaty between France and Cameroon would be called to force. They have such treaty with their former colonies. We don't have defence treaty with any country; we only have training agreements."
Also speaking at the public hearing , the Secretary- General of the Bakassi People General Assembly, Chief Ndabo Umo Nakanda, said the people of Bakassi were ready to protest the judgement but were intimidated by Obasanjo, who forced them to dump their protest against the judgement of the International Court.
His words: "We were invited by former President Obasanjo to the Aso Rock Villa. When we were seated the president said the press should excuse him and he warned us not to mention the case again. He said we should not make any further publications because, according to him, we were provoking Paul Biya by our complaints. We were intimidated not to talk."
Asked why the Bakassi people failed to make their voices heard on the Bakassi matter, former Cross River State House of Assembly member representing Bakassi, Mr. Joe Etame, said the former president intimidated the people of the area not to contest the matter.
"He told us that he was on the verge of having a meeting with Biya, but that because of our publications – and he brought some newspapers out – Biya was no longer ready to meet with him. He warned us to cease further media campaign, that he was going to negotiate in our best interest and that not even an inch of our land would be ceded. After that, we were scared."
Nakanda also alleged that the former president threatened to leave the Bakassi people's fate in the hands of Biya, saying, "he told us not to make any pronouncements again on Bakassi. That was enough intimidation. He even said, 'if you ever make any publication again, I will leave you to Biya. Can you fight Biya?'"
The Bakassi People Assembly rejected the Green Tree Agreement and called on the Senate to devise a means that would enable Nigeria appeal the ICJ ruling on Bakassi, adding, "This Senate should put machinery in place to appeal the ICJ ruling to the United Nations Security Council. From the inception we have ten years' option to appeal and three years is still left."
Nakanda said the people of Bakassi have been hurt by both Nigeria and Cameroon, saying, "We have seen that the overriding interest was solely economic rather than human interest. We appeal to Nigeria and Cameroon to sort their economic interests in the area and leave us alone."
According to him the people of Bakassi will reject any plan to resettle them in an area already occupied by other ethnic groups, adding that such move will neutralize their culture and tradition and make them lose their identity.
"We are saying the government of Cross River is trying to make a makeshift relocation camp, we reject it in its entirety. If we are forced to go there, there is going to be problem because we will lose our identity in three years. Where are we going to practise our traditions and religion? We have our shrines and deities; we cannot go and worship other people's deities. This can not be overlooked because we still have our traditional religion."
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Nigeria is selling after the market. Where was the Defence Chief when the Greeen Tree agreement was signed? Couldn't you wage war at that time? I now believe that some military officials from africa are stact illiterates. They act on impulses.
Bakassi belongs to Camerooun as simple as that.