Abuja — THE Federal Government yesterday called for understanding on its recent decision to formally cede the disputed Bakassi Peninsular to Cameroun as ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) four years ago even as it gave four major reasons to back up its resolution.
Bakassi, the oil-rich enclave, peopled by Nigerians, was ceded to Cameroun on October 10, 2002 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after a protracted legal battle between Nigeria and Cameroun over its ownership.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Christopher Adebayo Ojo (SAN) gave the reasons to include endorsement by Nigeria of the protocol that established the International Court of Justice which ceded the peninsular; recommendation of Houd Abdallah\Bola Ajibola Mixed Commission and the intense pressures by the United Nations on Nigeria among others.
Ojo who spoke with newsmen in Abuja on the matter yesterday said that in spite of the outlined reasons, he said that the Federal Government never planned to hastily cede the oil rich enclave before 2024 because of the overriding interest of Nigerians resident there.
He specifically said that President Obasanjo had pleaded with the United Nations to give him 20 years to implement the decision of the World Court but that his plea was turned down.
The president asked for a 20-year process but the United Nations said no. He asked for five years for the troop to withdraw, UN said no. UN was to give us 30 days but our president tried to make them see reasons," Ojo said.
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The Justice Minister however explained that the decision of the government to comply with the World Court judgement ceding Bakassi to Cameroun was not totally against Nigeria because "our maritime zone is still intact."
Besides, "whether we withdraw from Bakassi today or in another 20 years to come, we will one day cede the territory since we had already submitted to the jurisdiction of the court."
The Justice Minister however added that the Federal Government would take good and proper care of Nigerians resident in the disputed peninsular as they move out of the oil-rich enclave.
Chief Ojo (SAN) is on a committee recently inaugurated to supervise Nigeria's final withdrawal from the region.
It would be recalled that residents of the disputed Bakassi Peninsular had made spirited efforts to frustrate Nigeria from handing over their land to Cameroon but to no avail.
For instance, the paramount ruler of Bakassi Kingdom, Etiyin Etim Okon Edet and three others had approached a Federal high court sitting in Abuja to stop the Federal Government from handing over the Peninsular until due processes to that effect had been complied with.
Part of the processes sought to be complied with include adjusting the boundary and amending the constitution before handing over since Bakassi is one of the local governments listed in the constitution.
The plaintiffs in the case had also asked the court to compel the Federal Government to go back to the World Court to seek clarification on the judgment and compel President Obasanjo from moving the Federal Government's troop from the oil rich enclave.
But the legal bid by the indigenes failed as the trial high court judge that handled the case dismissed it in its entirety.
