karma:
Yester'night we are together
in the moon
listening to lullaby
young kids, full of life
and many dreams to achieve
but in our slumber
we could see them enter
cartted away
our own brothers
in the dream
we cry out louder
but grandfather insist we let them be
, in our presence
they milked them dry
, the land was raped
and their mouth tapped
our own brothers
will now become strangers
i pray it will only be a dream
but tell me, where is BAKASSI?
,
The issue of BAKASSI is not a joke, it is something that has kept me worried for some weeks now with lots of questions , WHO IS TO BE BLAME?, IS THERE ANY SHORT CUT?, CAN'T WE HOLD ON TO IT?, WHY?, AND MOST OF ALL, THE ULTIMATE QUESTION, IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE A RESIDENT OF BAKKASSI,NOW YOU ARE A NIGERIAN BUT WHAT IF YOU WAKE UP TOMORROW AND YOU DISCOVER YOU ARE NO LONGER A NIGERIAN BUT A CAMEROUNIAN!!! AND WILL HENCEFORTH NEED A VISA TO VISIT YOUR RELATIONS IN THE NEXT TOWN!!! AS WEIRD AS THIS MIGHT SOUND, BELIEVE ME THIS IS THE EXACT SITUATION MORE THAN A MILLION NIGERIANS WILL FIND THEMSELFS TOMORROW 14TH DAY OF AUGUST 2008,WHEN NIGERIAN WILL BE HANDING OVER BAKASSI TO CAMEROUN ON A PLATTER OF GOLD!!! YET OUR GRANDFATHERS KEEP MUTE AND SEE NO REASON WHY THEY NEED TO APOLOGISE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND DECISIONS TO SELL A PART OF NIGERIA INCLUDING FELLOW NIGERIANS OFF TO THE FRANCOPHONE COUNTRY!!! NOW THE FRENCH WILL REJOICE AS THEY WILL DOMINATE CAMEROUN AND TAP UNLIMITED CRUDE OIL IN BAKASSI , ONLY GOD KNOW WHERE OUR GRANDFATHERS WILL SELL NEXT, MAYBE LAGOS BUT I AM SURE IS NOT ABUJA!!!!'
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Your fear is now reality. . . . Nigeria hands over oil-rich Bakassi to Cameroon
CALABAR, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria handed control of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to its neighbor Cameroon on Thursday despite fears the handover will provoke attacks by local armed groups opposed to the change
The Nigerian government agreed to transfer Bakassi two years ago in line with a 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) order but violence, political disputes and legal skirmishes delayed the handover. About 50 people have been killed in border fighting in the last year alone.
Analysts said Cameroon will have to tackle the deteriorating security situation before it can begin to exploit the region's offshore oil reserves.
"We are saddled with the painful but important task of completing the implementation of the International Court of Justice's judgment by handing the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon," said Nigerian Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa at the formal signing ceremony.
Heightened security concerns in Bakassi forced organizers to cancel a flag-exchanging ceremony at the peninsula's main town Abana, and they moved it to a safer venue in Calabar city, some 190 km (120 miles) away.
Security sources say there are several unrelated armed groups in Bakassi, fighting for independence, money, housing and other causes.
SECURITY FIRST, OIL LATER
The two African countries have agreed to cooperate over oil exploration in the region, which could help boost Cameroon's declining production of around 90,000 barrels per day.
"I don't think Cameroon will be in a hurry to exploit Bakassi's oil reserves since the security situation remains a great concern," said Nnamdi Obasi, senior analyst for Crisis Group.
Around 90 percent of the population in the Bakassi peninsula, estimated at 200,000 to 300,000, are Nigerian fishermen and their families.
Bakassi leaders and Nigerian lawmakers say they do not want to become Cameroonians. Nigeria has offered to resettle them.
"We were all right where we were until this whole problem started and now we are suffering," said Emmanuel Michael, a fisherman who was resettled in Zion camp in Cross River state.
The Niger Delta Defence and Security Council, a little-known armed group responsible for two attacks on Cameroonian soldiers last month, threatened more violence.
"Our struggle will continue until our demands are met -- whether it be from the Nigerian government or Cameroon," said Commander Ebi Dari, the group's spokesman. He declined to say what the group's demands were.
Nigeria and Cameroon fought over Bakassi in 1994 when Cameroon first took its case to the World Court, and again in 1996. The ICJ gave Bakassi to Cameroon in a 2002 ruling, based largely on a 1913 treaty between former colonial powers Britain and Germany.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/wl_nm/nigeria_cameroon_bakassi_dc;_ylt=Al.FhrggHdT5TcNwFUeNpGK96Q8F |
