"We Won't Surrender Cross River Land To Cameroon Again," Otu Tells FG
By Our Reporter
Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has told the Federal government that the state will not surrender any part of its lands to Cameroon in the name of fulfilling the implementation of the 2002 International Court Justice ICJ judgement.
Otu who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Emmanuel Ironbar, stated this during the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee to investigate the land tussle between Danare and Biajua communities in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State and the Republic of Cameroon.
According to the Governor, the state is still nursing the attendant consequences of the loss of Bakassi and its 76 oil wells which he believes can still be revisited, urging the committee to invite relevant stakeholders involved in the lost of the oil rich peninsula so as to get to the root of the matter.
The Governor commended the House of Representatives for setting up the Adhoc committee to investigate the disputed borders in Danare and Biajua Communities.
The Commitee members who visited the disputed pillars 113 and 114 in Boki communities, according to the Governor was a welcome development and will help them to put up a painstaking reports.
Addressing the stakeholders and the press at the public hearing, , chairman of the committee, Hon. Beni Lar, said "our mission is to carry out the mandate of the House of Representatives which passed a Resolution on Wednesday 05 July 2023 on the need to investigate both the remote and recent circumstances leading to the looming International boundary dispute between Nigeria and Cameron towards unraveling the circumstances that led to the non-traceability and/displacement of a very vital international pillar 113A in the Demarcation of the boundaries between Nigeria and the Cameroon along the Bajua and Danare axis of Boki LGA which also even goes up to areas of Adamawa State inclusive of Sina area of Michigan LGA of the same State.
"we are here to visit the points of turmoil, which we did today before this Session began. Hold a public hearing, which is what we are doing right now and thereafter request for memoranda on the proper position of the affected communities, and then draw an agreement on a communique that will inform our final report back to the Federal Parliament."
Some of those who presented position papers at the public hearing included, chiefs, leaders and stakeholders of the communities, expressed disappointment over the lackluster attitude of the Nigerian government to intervene in the situation and prevent their communities from being ceded to the republic of Cameroon.
The community leaders led by former house of assembly member, Hon. Cletus Obung,said despite pleas for the Nigerian government to make strong statements towards ensuring the contentious pillar 113A is found and restored, the attitude of the federal government and its agency saddled with border demarcation, have not been encouraging.
A former Chairman of Boki LGA, Kingsley Mbia, narrated how the Community challenges started from the activities of the Cameroon in their search for the disputed pillar 113A, soliciting the maximum intervention of the federal government of Nigeria to come to their aid.
