By Ike Uchechukwu

Eleven years after Bakassi Peninsula was formally ceded by the Nigerian Government to Cameroun, the displaced indigenes of Bakassi have continued to lament the hardship, neglect and anguish which the unfortunate incident foisted on them. Many have lost any sense of belonging as neither the Nigerian Government nor the Camerounian Government identifies with their plight.

Distraught Bakassi people

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On the Nigerian side, the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, Camp located at Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Akwa Ikot in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, is like a prison yard with no basic amenities. From natural disasters, to outbreaks of diseases, especially among the children in the camp, the returnees earnestly pray for proper resettlement in an environment that would make them return to the only business they have ever known – fishing.

Leader of the camp, Mr Etim Okon Ene, who spoke with Vanguard said the plight of the people was getting worse by the day as many of them suffer untold hardship, sickness and hunger due to neglect by the government.

“It is a really sad story for us here. It appears we have been disowned. We are the bonafide sons and daughters of Bakassi Peninsula, which is our ancestral home but has been given to Cameroun. Since we have been displaced, we have lived in this school for five years. We need the Federal Government to rise up and look into our matter so we can have our proper resettlement,” he said.

Lamenting the situation in the IDP camp, Mr. Princewill Ayim, Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA said the last time they had items to give to the IDPs in Bakassi was about four months ago when NIMASA donated things to them.

“We have about 47,000 IDPs in Cross River, including the Bakasssi returnees but the state government is doing all it can to make sure that they are comfortable. It is taking a toll on the state because it requires a lot of money.

“We are doing our best to make sure they are cared for. We are not relenting even though organisations like the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have not assisted  in a while. We are also appealing to the Federal Government to come to their aid because it is not easy for the state government to carry such burden alone,” he stated.

A human rights activist/ lawyer, Fidelis Onyebueke said it was unfortunate that the people of Bakassi have to suffer such fate stressing that the judgment was done and dusted and nothing can be done legally because the 10 years grace for appeal  has elapsed.

“Bakassi was ceded by few persons, and they had ulterior motives but eventually, the thing has backfired. At the time the judgment was given, nobody resisted it. Ceding Bakassi to Cameroun is one of the worst things that have happened to Nigeria and Cross River State. They are not bound by the judgment at the Hague.

“The judgment is unfair, it is an unfair treatment to the people of Bakassi and I condemn in totality the administration that allowed that to happen. Why should they allow the judgment to be forced on the people? It was just because of selfish interest.

“There are no more loopholes in law or any legal means to get justice anymore unless the people revolt. If they don’t revolt and protest, they won’t be able to get anything from government. In the eye of the law, there is nothing left to be done by the people of Bakassi.  They are just unfortunate and have to resign to their fate. Unless the people revolt, they will continue to suffer.

“The people have to be radical to be heard and for the situation to change.  The people of Bakassi have been pushed to the wall and if they want to be heard, they must be radical about it.  Radicalism is part of governance.

“The people of Bakassi were not part of the process of the ceding of their place to Cameroun. The Federal Government must completely take charge of the people by providing palliatives for them. Federal Government must listen to them. The people are suffering; they are dying for what they know nothing about. Like I said earlier, they were not part of the process.

“The ceding of the place is part of westernisation and neo-colonialism because the western world would not want peace to reign in Africa and West Africa in particular. All those tactics, including the ceding of Bakassi is international politics, but because of selfish interest of some group of persons, they decided to play to the gallery and use the people as collateral to enrich themselves.

Also expressing concern on the issue, Ozinko Ozinko,  counsel to the ex-agitators, Bakassi Strike Force, BSF, noted that the situation with the Bakassi people is pathetic and unfortunate saying that it was clear that they have been abandoned to their fate.

He stated that their plight was what made the people to start agitation against a process that they were not part of, adding that the judgment was not binding on them because they were never part of the process.

“The judgment is not binding on the people of Bakassi.  They were never part of the process; there was no referendum, nothing, and you can’t force them to accept such. In carrying out that judgment the green tree agreement is also being violated because the other party (Cameroun) is not keeping to that agreement.

“The fundamental human rights of the people is being violated because of that judgment which is not right.  The people are suffering unnecessarily for something they never participated in. That judgment can also be set aside and a political solution can be used to sort it out. Hope you know that it was because of that judgment that Akwa Ibom State took the 76 oil wells from Cross River?

“The Federal Government if it is sincere, must do something about it. They are not bound by law to obey the judgment, but the most important thing is that the people of Bakassi must enjoy all the palliatives they should provide because they are highly disadvantaged, they have been taken away from their ancestral home to a strange land and that is really devastating,” he said.

When contacted, the Chief Press to Gov. Ben Ayade, Mr. Christian Ita said the judgment was a sham and an act of illegality because the people were never consulted neither was there any referendum.

Ita said the judgment as far as Cross River State Government was concerned, was null and void because no one from Bakassi wanted to leave their ancestral homes; not then and certainly not now.

Ita said: “The judgment and the ceding of Bakassi as far as we are concerned, is illegal and not binding on the people of Bakassi. Confusion has been created as a result of the judgment.  We have lost 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State. Our people are suffering for what they never played a part in.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to find a political solution to the issue of Bakassi now.

The people of the area are really suffering.  Just like there was a solution for Akwa Ibom through offshore and onshore dichotomy, there should be something for Cross River too.”

Vanguard