Leadership (Abuja)
Edem Edem
14 November 2009
Calabar — Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has raised alarm over the poor security situation created in the waterway between Nigeria and Republic of Cameroon following the declaration of the area as a buffer zone.
While receiving Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim, Chief of Naval Staff, during a courtesy call recently, Imoke remarked that the creation of a buffer zone within the area following the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon as well as 76 oil wells from Cross River to Akwa Ibom, has heightened piracy and militancy, culminating in the formation of Bakassi Freedom Fighters which claimed to have fought for the interests of Nigerians against the activities of Cameroon gendarmes.
Imoke also disclosed that he had earlier made this known to the National Security Officer to the president, adding that the ceding of the area to Cameroon has made policing of the waterway necessary while calling for a joint military patrol by the two countries to ensure peace and security. The governor said though Nigeria is a law abiding nation and adheres strictly to the Green Tree Agreement, he blamed it for not making adequate arrangement on security after the Bakassi issue had been accepted by Nigeria, saying that it was not only a political issue but also a security issue based on the fact that the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command is in Cross River State.
On the issue of Cross River not being a littoral state but a land-locked state as stated by the National Boundary Commission, he said the admission compromises the security of the nation and wondered if ships go through Cameroon before berthing at Calabar Port, stressing that the decision has created an imaginary line to the disadvantage of Nigeria and therefore called on the Navy to make a presentation on the matter to the president.
He averred that the issue has gone beyond oil wells and if not properly managed, might lead to conflict because the loss has created challenges for the state. He appealled to the Chief of Naval Staff to use his position to address the issue while asking that the Eastern Naval Headquarters in Calabar be allowed to resume its functions, authority and position in the Nigerian Navy as well as in Nigerian territorial waters.
Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim, Chief of Naval Staff, appreciated the state for involving the Navy in its security programme to ensure peace in the state and requested for a piece of land to enable it build a post service settlement as in Abuja and Lagos, explaining that Calabar ranks top among Navy formations in the country.
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