Posted by Francis Ezem on
The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Nta Henshaw VI has blamed the federal government over the loss of the oil -rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.....
The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Nta Henshaw VI has blamed the federal government over the loss of the oil -rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, saying the government rushed to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, without doing its homework properly.
The paramount ruler and the grand patriarch of the Efik people also regretted that the decision of the government not to embark on a wide consultation especially with some key people that should have known better did not help matters.
It would be recalled that after the initial refusal of the residents of the peninsula to leave the area, Governor Donald Duke had resettled the returnees in Akpabuyo Local Government, near Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The traditional ruler, who was the royal father of the day at a public presentation of a book entitled: ‘Nigerian Judiciary -Perspectives and Profile', edited by Fassy Yusuf and dedicated to Justice Mohammadu Uwais, the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, said that Bakassi was part of Nigeria because it was part of the domain of the Obong of Calabar as far back as 1700.
According to him, it was some time in 1713, thirteen years after this time that Spain and Britain signed the Asiento I reaty by which Spain allowed Britain for the first time trading privileges in the Bakassi area.
He also noted that most unfortunate of all was that the information on the final ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon as well as the relocation of those that may wish to return to Nigeria came to his kingdom through the various news mass media like the television, radio and newspapers.
He however appealed to the federal and state governments to always carry along those that ought to be involved in the Bakassi matter, a development that would have made the country to properly articulate her facts before going to the court and would have had the case decided in her favour.
The traditional ruler, who is also a professor of medicine, observed that the Bakassi issue became a judicial issue after the October 10, 2002 ruling of the World Court that ceded the Bakassi territory to Cameroon.
The Obong, who expressed grief and pain among the people of Cross River State over the ceding of the territory and people of Bakassi to Cameroon, regretted that most judicial officers in the country were of the consensus that Nigeria hastily rushed to the world court without adequate preparations.
While commenting on the aborted third term bid, the traditional ruler had urged government to consolidate on its achievements, with a view to rejuvenating the economy, reduce un-employment, and ensure stable prices of goods as well as social justice and security in the years ahead.
He also charged the present administration to ensure that those who would be elected into political offices in the next dispensation are the choice of the people, adding that if the people were allowed to choose their leaders themselves, such leaders would in turn ensure that the interest and rights of the people were protected at all times.