Face-off looms over Bakassi, as Senate reclaims peninsula Our Reporter September 27, 2012 6
•Lawmakers reject ICJ ruling, ask Jonathan to appeal

Another face-off is imminent between the Presidency and the Senate over the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun. For the second time in 24 hours, Senate had attacked Aso Rock on critical national matters.
In a race to beat the October 10 deadline for the final ceding of the peninsula, Senate has commenced proceedings to appeal the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment. The Upper Legislative Chamber yesterday passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to invoke Article 61 of the ICJ Statute to appeal the ruling in the interest of Nigerians in the affected areas, including Bakassi.
Senate argued that the Green Tea Agreement (GTA) which ceded Bakassi to Cameroun was never domesticated by the Fifth National Assembly as required by section 12 of the 1999 Constitution. Senators said yesterday that because the GTA was not given legal backing by the then National Assembly, the hand-over is null and void. Nigeria, during the Obasanjo administration, ceded Bakassi to Cameroun in 2002.
To underscore the seriousness of thematter, Senate President David Marksaid he will write a personal letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and urge him to hasten the appeal. But in an address at the United Nations in New York, U.S. on Tuesday, President Jonathan reiterated that Nigeria would abide by the ICJ ruling on Bakassi. Regardless, emotions ran high in the Senate chambers yesterday when memberscontributed to the Bakassi debate.
Leading the debate, Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi, noted that new facts have emerged after the ICJ ruling which were not available before the first court proceeding coupled with the fact that the hand-over “was executed without a referendum as enshrined by the United Nations. “Nigeria has never domesticated the GTA…The 1999 Constitution still includes Bakassi and there is no reference on the ceding…If Bakassi is inhabited by Hausa/Fulani, this would never havehappened.
If Bakassi was inhabited by the Yoruba, this would never have happened. In fact, if Bakassi were inhabited by even the Ijaw, this would never have happened. “If government’s problem is money, weare ready to contribute to fund the legal battle.” Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba seconded the motion.
He drew the attention of the Upper House to the illegalities perpetrated during the Bakassi hand-over and passionately pleaded with the Senate to ensure justice, which was denied them during the Obasanjo administration, is done for the region. “Cross River State Government is the immediate victimof injustice and the high-handedness of this issue of Bakassi.
In 2007, we urged the Federal Government to tarry awhile and we,myself and Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw sponsored three motions to that effect, but it was not heeded. “Bakassi was handed over with an unelected governor in place and I asked the question: What was the hurry? “Bakassi’s judgment was the fastest that was implemented.
There are judgments from the ICJ as far back as the 1930’s that had not been implemented; so, why the hurry with Bakassi? “Cross River State lost 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State. Bakassi went in one direction and the oil wells went in another direction. Cross River did not cede Bakassi. Bakassi was ceded by the Federal Government in spite of CrossRiver. “We demand protection as people of Nigeria.
If the Nigerian state cannot protect Cross River, let the Senate, to which Ibelong, protect Cross River.” Information, Media and Public Affairs Committee Chairman, Enyinnaya Abaribe, wondered, “which country willingly gives out its own portion to another country?” To the Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, Ita Enang, Nigeria has no time to waste on the appeal, adding that the matter is now between two countries.”Obasanjo sent the GTA to the National Assembly for ratification but no work was done on it. Section 12 of the Constitution stipulates that the GTA must be ratified and endorsed.
This is not a matter between one state and another state. This is a matter between Nigeria and Cameroun.” Minority Leader, Sen. George Akume shed more light on the issue when he informed the chamber that it was not only Bakassi that was given out to Nigerian neighbours. “It’s not only Cross River that was affected; Borno,Adamawa, Taraba and Benue were ceded amidst protestations from theNational Council of State” To SenatorHeineken Lokpobiri, Nigeria could take immediate action while the appeal goes on.
“Let’s go back to Bakassi and repossess the place. Nigeria has not legally ceded Bakassi…” In his comments on the motion, Mark promised that the Senate will protect all Nigerians, adding that the National Assembly will champion appeal of the ICJ ruling. “Bakassi shouldn’t be ceded to Cameroun; going on appeal shouldn’t be a line of action that we should neglect.

GEJ beware. This is another trap for you. Suddenly they all love Bakassi people. Judgement given in 2002.