Ben Agande, Chris Ochayi and Tony Nyong
13 August 2008
THE Federal Government is proceeding, tomorrow, with the planned handing over of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun, regardless of opposition from some quarters, Presidential spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, said yesterday.
No fewer than 37,000 Nigerians displaced from the disputed peninsula are being resettled at Ibaka in Akwa Ibom State.
Also yesterday, the Federal Government warned international oil companies operating in the country that it had had enough of their excesses, and must henceforth live up to their responsibility of meeting the challenges facing the oil sector of the nation's economy.
Mr. Adeniyi told State House correspondents that there was nothing government could do now to stop the handing over and had spent over N4 billion in resettling the displaced Bakassi people.
"The exchange of territories, including Bakassi peninsula, under the auspices of the United Nations, will happen on Thursday across the country," he said, and argued that "there are no legal encumbrances as many imagined.
The Attorney-General of the Federation who will formalise the hand-over process has made it clear that he would rely on the March 19, 2004 ruling of the High Court delivered by Justice S.J Adah.
"I am aware that the Federal Government last week formally sought and obtained the Certified True Copy of Justice Adah's ruling which had stated in part: 'From the further affidavits of the plaintiffs, it is clear that there was a dispute over the boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered judgment dated 10th October 2002.
The part of the territories these plaintiffs have brought before this court was involved in the area litigated upon at the ICJ. Since the issue had been determined at that level, the decision binds all sovereign states that are members of the United Nations and no forum domesticum of member states can assume jurisdiction to review what has been decided by the ICJ."
Mr Adeniyi said "as painful as it is for everyone including the President, it is a commitment we have made to the international community and we have a responsibility to keep it. What has been of concern to the President and will be a priority to him is the welfare of the people of Bakassi as bona fide citizens of Nigeria who have found themselves in a territory legally given to another country and I can assure you that efforts have been made to ensure their comfort."
And speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, said the state government had the burden of resettling more than 37,000 displaced Nigerians who have arrived the shores of Ibaka from the Bakassi Peninsula.
The deputy governor, who confirmed reactions in the state against the final handing over, regretted the killing of some Nigerians by the Camerounian gendarmes.
Ekpotu, who doubles as Chairman of the State Emergency Relief Committee, told Vanguard that he had written several letters to the chairman of the National Emergency Management Agency, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, with nothing done so far.
Ekpotu appealed to the Federal Government to assist it by building a resettlement centre as obtained in most other states to cater for the health, accommodation and material needs of the displaced persons.
According to him, tens of thousands of people, including Ilaje, Igbo and Akwa Ibomites have been displaced and needed to be rehabilitated urgently as most of them have lost their valuables.
Although no relief materials have been sent by the state government, the deputy governor hinted that he had directed the Mbo Local Government chairman to make available a parcel of land that can serve as a makeshift camp to accommodate the returnees pending when the federal government will step in to resettle them.
He wondered why the Federal Government would not show interest in the resettlement of the people when in the other states of the federation, resettlement centres have been built to rehabilitate displaced people.
NANS advises Cameroun, Nigeria
On its part, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) asked Nigeria and Cameroun to ensure that the people affected by the handing of the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula are adequately catered for.
"The people of Bakassi are suffering. As human beings, wherever they belong to in the two countries, they remain Africans and they are entitled to good welfare, that is our concern. So we call on the governments of both Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroun to ensure that they are treated like human beings and not second class citizens," National President of NANS, Bashir Babale, told newsmen in Abuja.
FG warns oil firms
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, yesterday, in Abuja read the riot act to oil companies which are defaulting in their commitment towards government's effort at solving the problems facing the sector and said it would no longer tolerate the excesses of the companies.
Addressing State House correspondents yesterday, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Communications, Mr. Adeniyi, said government was happy at what he described as "improvements in power supply in the last three weeks."
"Within the last one month, the President has effectively tackled the problem of systems collapse which has gone on for years. That required political intervention but I won't go into details."
He said the President "has also sorted out the issue of funding for the short term with the governors and once the monies are duly appropriated in the State Houses of Assembly and by the National Assembly, everything will be in place. The strategies for the long term are also in place."
On the technical details with the oil companies which form an important part in the overall plans of the Federal Government to turn around the nation's energy logjam, Mr Adeniyi said it was also being sorted out, adding that some of them showing signs of non-cooperation "are now beginning to realise the resolve of the President because once the emergency is declared in the power sector, there will be stiff sanctions if they fail to meet their obligations and all these will be clearly spelt out as pre-conditions for continued operations in our country.
"The President means business on this issue and wants to see more commitment from oil companies doing business in Nigeria, but he also believes in the virtue of dialogue and compromises. Once all the issues are sorted out with all the stakeholders, the emergency will be declared but even before then, the power situation is being addressed and all targets will be met.
Once he declares it however, Nigeria will continue to witness a gradual increase in the power situation until we can begin to take electricity for granted like most developed countries," he said.
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