Posted by By JOSSY IDAM on
The chairman of Action Congress (AC) in Cross River State and CNPP chieftain, Cletus Obun, has reacted angrily to the handover of Bakassi and called for the impeachment of President Umar Yar'Adua.
The chairman of Action Congress (AC) in Cross River State and CNPP chieftain, Cletus Obun, has reacted angrily to the handover of Bakassi and called for the impeachment of President Umar Yar'Adua.
To him, the president and his predecessor should be arrested and docked for failing to protect the territoral integrity of the country. He bared his mind to Saturday Sun when we spotted him in Calabar this week.
How do you feel about the FG's handover of Bakassi?
The contemplation and act is treasonable. President Yar'Adua and his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, should be arrested and tried for treason. When they were sworn-in, they swore on oath to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria. For them to turn around now and violate that oath is a heinous crime against the people of Nigeria, especially indigenes of Bakassi, who have now lost their ancestral home and means of livelihood.
But this emanates from the decision of the ICJ and the implementation of the Green Tree Agreement
That's what they claim. Why isn't such decision and agreement taken on a community in Ogun and Katsina states? The whole thing is mischievous. An ordinary state in USA, precisely Texas, is known to have disregarded the decision of the so-called International Court of Justice. Countries across the world are known to have ignored such reckless rulings and instead went to war. In the 1980s, Britain's Margaret Thatcher moved the British Armada to Argentina and ensured that Britons and the island of Falkland did not switch ownership by force.
But supporters of the ruling say Nigeria is a big country and a force to reckon with in the continent, and as such should show good example
Obasanjo only entered into the agreement for selfish reasons. After misruling Nigeria, he decided to do something at the international scene to massage his over-size ego. Don't forget he always wants to be seen in the same class with Mandela. He thought that after leaving office, the UN would give him as a job as peace ambassador of sorts. He loves globetrotting, junketing and hugging media attention.
But the man is simply an unmitigated disaster. No great world leader will enter into an agreement without due consultation with his people. From what we know now, the military and the country's lawmakers were not carried along.
What's the real military implication of the handover to Nigeria?
The situation is grave. When ceeded, the Nigerian Navy can no more pass through it without permission from Cameroon. For a power player within the region, Nigeria has lost out. The Gulf of Guinea is our backyard. Even America and Britain will never allow themselves to be caged. How come America till today is wielding awesome power in the whole of South America?
General Abacha, though a dictator, will be weeping and turning angrily in his grave. The place called Bakassi used to be under Akpabuyo Local Government Area but because of constant incursion of the Cameroonian military, Abacha decided to give the place a full autonomy and speed up its development. That is how it became Bakassi Local Government Area.
The little islands there reminds one of Hawai. But for the dispute, Cross River State would have extended its tourism activities there.
In the past, the Nigerian military lost a lot of its personnel in the clashes with Cameroon. It now means that those bright young men, gallant soldiers who lost their lives in defence of their fatherland died in vain. It's not motivating for the nation's soldiers. If the decision is to ensure lasting peace with Cameroon, sorry, we can't have peace in an area constantly on the boil. Part of southern Cameroon wants to pull away as separate state. And if Obasanjo's government did not employ carrot and stick policy in the area, the indigenes of the place and concerned Cross Riverians would have kept Cameroon at bay. Knowing the truculent unrefined nature and excesses of the Cameroonian gendarmes, Nigeria should brace up for constant clashes with them. This is what happens to a leper; give him a handshake, he would turn around and tell you to embrace him.
You have just hinted at a vital part of the UN charter - a people's right to self-determination
Yes, the UN's position is now contradictory. It endorses the right of a people to declare their independence and decide their own destiny. But the yearning of Bakassi people has been muffled. Before the ICJ ruled, there was no plebiscite or referendum. As we are talking, there's no Cameroonian in Bakassi. Their gendarmes moved in there of late. The name Bakassi is even an Ejegam word ‘mbakassi,' which means no road there. Its rough terrain and the seamlessness of the Atlantic close to it gave the place its name.
Going by the nation's constitution, Bakassi is still a local government. But the new Bakassi appears to exist only on book. The place is yet to be built. So, what's the fate of those displaced?
Good question, the UN and Nigerian government have simply sent the people into second slavery. Having lost their homeland, they are now refugees. Go to Akpabuyo and see where they are quartered. Tell me, what could be so demeaning? Due to no fault of theirs, women and children are now subjected to this harrowing, inhuman experience.
So, what's going to happen next?
Let's watch and see how this will play out. Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 clearly states that the primary purpose of government is the protection of the lives and properties of citizens. On this account, Yar'Adua has failed. He has committed an impeachable offence. And if the National Assembly fails to do that, posterity will not forgive him and his predecessor.
But no matter what, Bakassi people will never lose the place. The children suffering now will rise tomorrow and reclaim it by force. It's just a matter of time. From the foregoing, the ruling party, PDP, has clearly demonstrated its inability to protect the sovereignty of the country.