By Jonathan Ugbal
The ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula should not have taken place because the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is not binding or enforceable says Elder Andem Antigha, a community leader in Bakassi local government area who also urges President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit the issue.
Antigha who is also the President of the Bakassi Emancipation Movement made this known in a release signed by him and obtained by CrossRiverWatch where he called for a halt in the ongoing boundary demarcation exercise between Nigeria and Cameroun which will see Nigeria losing more territories in Adamawa and Cross River State to Cameroun.
He wondered why there is haste in the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun when previous judgements of the ICJ have not been implemented or enforced and cited several adjudications which are yet to be implemented or enforced to prove his point that ‘ICJ judgements are not binding on anybody neither are they enforceable’.
“The ICJ sitting at the Hague had adjudicated in the matter between the United States of America versus Cuba over Guantanamo Bay, but the United States has continued to occupy the place in defiance of ICJ judgement and nothing has happened.
“ICJ adjudicated the matter between Britain versus Argentina over the Falkland Islands in favor of Argentina but Britain has continued to occupy the Islands in defiance of the ICJ judgement and heavens have not fallen’’ he said.
He also added several more examples to include India versus Pakistan over Kashmir province, Israel versus Palestine over the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, Ethiopia versus Eritrea over Ogadon province with the former countries India, Israel and Ethiopia refusing to follow the adjudications which favored Pakistan, Palestine and Eritrea respectively with nothing happening to these countries.
He further cited the adjudication between Morocco and Western Sahara in favor of independence for Western Sahara with Morocco continuously occupying the place in defiance of the ICJ judgement.
Furthermore, Antigha stated that security reports reaching him have it that “Cameroun Gerndarmes beat, kill, rape our women and disposes Bakassi people of their fish, crayfish and possessions and impose arbitrary and intolerable taxes on our people and decried the loss of the 76 oil wells after the loss of their homeland.
He called on the United Nations and the Federal Government to acquire Dayspring Peninsula up to Esuk Mba in Akpabuyo local government area to develop and resettle the displaced people of Bakassi, also adding that “The pain and trauma of losing our traditional homeland cannot be compensated with dollars”.
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