Damilola Oyedele and Ernest Chinwo in Calabar
16 August 2008
Abuja — The government of the United Kingdom yesterday sent a congratulatory message to the Nigerian government over the successful handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon on Thursday.
Also yesterday, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye promised that the handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon would not affect Nigeria's security.
Similarly, Cameroon will have to wait till 2011 to take over full administrative control of the Peninsula, in accordance with the Green Tree Treaty legalising the transfer of the territory from Nigeria to Cameroon.
In a statement signed by Jonathan Bacon of the British High Commission in Abuja, the United Nations was also commended by Britain for facilitating the smooth handover of the region to Cameroon in accordance with the Treaty.
The British government expressed hope that the new agreement would open new prospects for bilateral goodwill, confidence and co-operation as well as consolidating peace, stability, human rights and prosperity in the sub-region.
It said the peaceful transfer was a global example that countries could settle their differences amicably.
Britain said further in the statement: "The United Kingdom, as a witness to the Green Tree Agreement, attaches great importance to the successful and peaceful implementation of this Agreement, which implements the judgement of the International Court of Justice.
"The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bob Dewar represented the UK at the ceremony in Calabar on 14 August, which transferred authority in the Bakassi Peninsula.
"We commend the continued commitment of the United Nations to this process and the diligent work of the UN Secretary General, his special representative for West Africa, the chairman of the Follow-up Committee and the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission in facilitating this peaceful settlement."
There had been increasing fears that the cession of Bakassi would undermine Nigeria's security as Nigerian warships would not be able to access some parts of the country's coastal areas.
But Adekeye said in Calabar yesterday, while fielding questions from newsmen after the CNS dialogue with officers and men of the Eastern Naval Command, that the fears were unfounded as the Nigerian Navy still has access to all of Nigeria's coastal areas.
According to the Naval Chief, "What would have been of very serious concern is if the boundary covered the entrance to the Calabar channel. But it does not. The Calabar channel is still under our command. We have control of our own territory."
He however said Nigerian warships would need permission to pass through Cameroonian territorial waters as is the international convention.
"There is a clause in the Green Tree Agreement that says that (merchant) ships can have right of way when passing through the Cameroonian section but that war ships will not. Right now that is what is happening.
"The war ship of another country cannot pass through our own territorial waters without clearing from us. That is the same thing if our war ships want to pass through Cameroonian waters.
"Bakassi is no more part of our territory. So, we cannot pass through there without getting clearance from them (Cameroon).
"If they come into our own territory, we will challenge them. Likewise if we go into their own territory, they will challenge us," he said.
While addressing officers and ratings of the Command, the Chief of Naval Staff reviewed what he called the six cardinal points of his administration, which includes improvement in operations, training and retraining, logistics, improvement in the posture of the Navy in security operations, welfare of officers and ratings, and discipline.
The Chief of Naval Staff said he had tried his best in the implementation of the policy thrust of his administration as the naval chief.
He expressed appreciation with the effort by the Federal Government to equip the Navy but said the Navy needed more platforms and vessels to operate optimally.
Adekeye however said the Navy was expecting some platforms and boats, disclosing that the first boat would arrive in October this year.
Nigeria last Thursday handed over the remaining parts of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon in the final implementation of the June 12, 2006 Green Tree Agreement brokered by the United Nations following the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on October 10, 2002. The ICJ ruling awarded the disputed territory to Cameroon.
Meanwhile Cameroon still has till 2011 before it can assume control of the Bakassi Peninsula, as a clause under the Green Tree Accord made provisions for the country to only have partial control of the Peninsula till the end of a temporary period known as the "special transition period for a non-renewable period of five years."
This period would allow for the full resettlement of Nigerians that have been in the area for decades. The five year period came into effect in 2006 when Nigeria and Cameroon signed the pact. It will expire in 2011.
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