Nigerian border communities have resolved to join forces with their counterparts in Cameroun to form the Republic of Ambazonia to spite Federal Government's refusal to appeal the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which ceded Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroun in 2002.
The border communities have formed an association to galvanise support to solicit recognition by the United Nations (UN) and other countries. The association will act as a lobby group and reach out to those that matter in international politics.
Leader of the association and former member of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr. Cletus Obun, unfolded the agenda of the group yesterday in Calabar in a chat with some newsmen, saying the Federal Government's lukewarm attitude to call for the appeal was clearly an indication that any Nigerian border community can easily be handed over to Cameroun.
Accompanied by representatives of border communities from Boki, Bekwarra, Bakassi, Obanliku, Etung and Obudu Local Government Areas, Obun said the association was ready to apply to the UN for a plebiscite on the self-determination quest.
"We will embark on a serious mobilisation across the local government areas bordering Cameroun, in collaboration with the Efiks in Bakassi and the Southern Cameroun for an independent state of Ambazonia.
"We are going to seek for a plebiscite under the UN Charter on Human Rights", he said.
He revealed that the plan for Ambazonia Republic was not new as it began long ago, and called for the support of all well-meaning people both within and outside Cross River to actualise the envisaged country.
According to him, the English speaking part of Cameroun long marginalised its French counterpart in development and political leadership of the country has been agitating for self rule and was at the vanguard of the envisaged country.
"We have the right under the UN charter on human and peoples rights, to pursue self freedom; we therefore solicit the support and cooperation of Nigerians and the International community," he stated.
In his comment, a member of one of the communities in Obudu, Mr. Emmanuel Okwe, said that the people were ready for self-determination considering that Nigerian government does not care about border communities.
"We are ready to use all legal means to under the protection of the UN to achieve our freedom, " he said.
Some local government areas in Cross River North senatorial district share international boundaries with Southern Cameroun.
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Good move by the marginalized minority. All marginalized people in the world should vest support to this braveness initiative
People rejected must not reject themselves. This betrayal of Bakassi is a clear indication of how inferior the Efiks and Ibibios are regarded in Nigeria.
If San-Morino is a Republic inside Italy and Swaziland independent nation inside South-Africa, Gambia sovereign nation inside Senegal, why not Republic of Ambazonia between the 2 rogue nations of Camer-Niger
I stand with my friends in the Bakassi region of Nigeria in calling for a new and independent state of Ambazonia. I am from Ndian Division in Cameroon and from Mundemba to be precise. It takes me about ninety minutes to leave the Bulu beach in Mundemba to arrive at Ikang in Nigeria by speed boat. It takes me about three hours during the dry season and ten to a full day during the rainy season to get to kumba to get much needed provisions. Why ? Because the usurpers of power in Yaounde care very little and have decided as a matter of convenience to marginalize the people of Ndian in Particular and English speaking Cameroon in general. I am confident our people in Nigeria and Cameroon will be better served coming together to form a new nation that will serve their common needs, that are now being neglected by both Nigeria for the Nigerians in the peninsular and for Cameroonians of the North west and South West regions, that have been marginalized since re-unification of the two Cameroons.