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“C/River will no longer tolerate ceding of its land to Cameroon” – Gov. Otu
Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River assured on Monday that no part of the state would be ceded to Cameroon any longer.
Otu made the declaration at a public hearing organised by an ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives.
The committee is investigating a land tussle between Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River and Biajua community, split between Cross River and Cameroon.
Following on a 2002 judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, Nigeria began the ceding of parts of the Bakassi Peninsula in Cross River to Cameroon in 2006.
The territory was completely ceded to Cameroon on Aug. 14 2008, exactly two years after the first part of it was transferred.
Mr Emmanuel Ironbar, Chief of Staff to Gov. Otu, who represented the governor at the public hearing said the state was still nursing the consequences of the loss of Bakassi and its 76 oil wells to Cameroun.
He said Cross River believed that the issue could be revisited.
He urged the committee to invite relevant stakeholders involved in the loss of the oil-rich peninsula so as to get to the root of the matter.
“I commend the House of Representatives for setting up the ad-hoc committee to investigate the disputed borders in Danare and Biajua communities.
“The visitation of the committee members to the disputed pillars 113 and 114 in Boki communities is a welcome development and will help you to put up painstaking reports.
“Let it be known that Cross River will no longer allow any part of its lands to be ceded to Cameroon in the name of implementing the 2002 judgment of the ICJ,’’ the governor’s representative said.
Addressing stakeholders at the public hearing, Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Hon. Beni Lar, said the House passed a resolution on July 5 to investigate the circumstances leading to the boundary dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon.
He said the essence was to unravel the circumstances leading to the non-traceability and displacement of an important international pillar – 113A in the demarcation of the boundary between Nigeria and the Cameroon.
He maintained that border demarcation pillars along the Biajua and Danare axis of Boki Local Government Area of Cross River went as far as Sina area in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa.
In their submissions, leaders of Danare and Biajua communities led by a former legislator, Mr Cletus Obung, said Federal Government’s attitude over the matter had not been encouraging.
“In spite of pleas to the Nigerian government to make strong statements and ensure that the contentious Pillar 113A is found and restored, its attitude has not been encouraging.
“The Nigerian government has not made a strong statement to intervene in the situation and prevent our communities from being ceded to the republic of Cameroon; this is disappointing,’’ he noted.
After the ceding of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in 2008, its indigenes have yet to be properly resettled in Cross River.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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