Breaking News: FG stopped from handing over Bakassi to Cameroun
Abuja - The Federal Government of Nigeria has been stopped from handing over the disputed Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Nigeria and Cameroon had agreed to a final handing over of the oil rich peninsula to the latter on August 14, 2008. But at the resumed hearing in a case filed by some indigenes of the disputed peninsula, Justice Mohammed Umar asked the Federal Government to maintain the status quo until the determination of the case.
Justice Umar said, “The justice of this case is that parties to this suit should maintain the status quo, so that the res (substance) will not be destroyed.
“The res is Southern Bakassi, which is to be ceded by the defendants on August 14. It is hereby ordered that parties should maintain the status quo and should not take any step pending the hearing of all applications.‘‘
He adjourned further hearing in the case till October 20, 2008 when the court is expected to resume from vacation.
Following the judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands, Nigeria and Cameroon signed an agreement on June 12, 2006 under the supervision of the United Nations.
Under the agreement which is known as the “Green Tree Agreement,” the Federal Government agreed to cede the peninsula to Cameroun on August 14.
But the Cross River State Government, represented by its Deputy Director of Civil Litigation, Mr. Bassey Bassey, said the order “is not capable of being obeyed‘‘.
He said, “This order is not capable of being obeyed because this court cannot sit as an appellate court on the judgment of the ICJ.
“All the issues in this case as well as the final cession of Bakassi are fallout from the judgment of the ICJ.”
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Kayode Fasetire, however, said that the suit was not to challenge the judgment of the ICJ but the modalities for its implementation.
He said, “We know that we are bound by the judgment of the ICJ. The Presidency did not submit the GTA to the National Assembly for ratification. The legislature also failed in its oversight functions to call the Presidency to order.
“We are challenging the agreement and we are surprised that the President (Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua) has said he would go ahead to hand over in the face of it.
“Nigeria has not done what it is supposed to do before implementing the agreement.”
The plaintiffs include two former chairmen of Bakassi Local Government Area, Chief Emmanuel Etene, and Mr. Ani Esin.
They are asking for N456bn as compensation before the cession. They also want the court to order the Federal Government to resettle the kinsmen in a place of their choice before the cession.
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