BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 23, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives Thursday directed its Committee on Special Duties to investigate the problems arising from the exclusion of certain groups in the resettlement of displaced people of the disputed Bakassi Peninsula.
The House committee led by Hon. Muntari Mohammed Dandutse is to submit its report to the House within four weeks.
The Presidential Committee on Resettlement of Bakassi People is headed by the deputy governor of Cross River State, Mr. Effiok Essien Cobham.
The House took the resolution after adopting a motion moved by Hon. Robinson Uwak (PDP, Akwa Ibom) on the urgent need to direct the Presidential Committee on the resettlement of the displaced people of Bakassi Peninsula to review its report in order to be inclusive of the aboriginal inhabitants of the peninsula.
In his lead debate on the motion, Hon. Uwak noted that the report by the Presidential Committee submitted to the Vice President does not include the planned resettlement of the original inhabitants of Bakassi peninsula, who are people of Ibibio, Ijaw, Obolo, Ilaje, Eket, Oron and Okobo origins, including Igbo traders.
Defending his motion, Uwak explained that “there is a difference between the people of Bakassi Local Government of Cross River state and aborigines of Bakassi Peninsula who are of Ibibio, Obolo, Eket Oron Ijaw Ilaje, and Igbo origin from such communities as Okobo (Okobo tribe), Oron (Oron), Mbo (Oron) Udung Uko (Oron), Urue-ofong Oruko (Oron), Uruan (Ibibio) Nsit Atai (Ibibio), Esit Eket (Eket and Obolo ). “
He explained that these people constitute the majority of people displaced by the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon, adding that the implementation of the Presidential report has been proposed in the 2014 budget.
Uwak expressed worry that the implementation of the proposed budgetary implementation will cause harm and exclude Nigerians who ought to be included in the resettlement by the Federal Government.
He also expressed concern that “the people of Okobo, Oron, Ijaw, Eket, Obolo, Ilaje, Ibibio, Ijaw and Igbo traders who still have their means of livelihood in the peninsula are being ill-treated, maimed, abused and unfairly taxed by the Cameroonian gendarmes.
“The action of the Cameroonian authorities are contrary to a bilateral agreement signed by Nigeria and Cameroon and also contrary to the provisions of Articles 2,4,5,6 and 21 of the Banjul Treaty (African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights), agreed to by all members of the African Union.
He therefore sought the leave of the House to prevail on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take legal action against the Republic of Cameroon for breaches of African Human Rights Law relating to the unfair taxation of Nigerians still living in the Peninsula.
Supporting the motion, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia), said there was need to invite the Presidential Committee on Resettlement of the Bakassi People as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs to explain to the House the state of the programme.
Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (PDP, Imo), in his contribution, submitted that the appropriate thing to do was to investigate the Presidential Committee before seeking legal action against the Cameroonian authorities.
Others who supported the motion were Hon . Isaac Osahon (APC, Edo), Hon. John Chukwu Onyeriri (PDP, Imo), and Hon. Patrick Ihkariale (PDP, Edo).
It will be recalled that last year, the Presidential Committee on the Resettlement of Bakassi People submitted the report of its findings to the Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo.
Cobham had said : “For now, the Bakassi people, a large number of them are talking about a new settlement outside the camp for which they are presently settled. They want a location that will be opened to the sea since they are basically riverine people. So, that involves the development of an entirely new settlement.”
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja
