NIGERIA/CAMEROUN BAKASSI CONTROVERSY

NIGERIA/CAMEROUN BAKASSI CONTROVERSY
Archbishop Ukpo Sues For Peace.
Recently the tension between Nigeria and Cameroun has heightening due to the rejection of the decision of ICJ regarding the ownership of the Bakassi oil rich penisula. Few days a go more than 5o innocent people have been reported death and many more on critical health condition with little or no medical attention giving.

The upheaval generated from the recent Senate rejection of ICJ decision on ownership of Bakassi, the Archbishop Upko of Calabar whose Metropolitan see bandries this neighbourhood was quite unhappy concerning the death and suffering of the concerned citizens and therefore calls for more lasting solution that will restore peace and tranquillity. In the requiem mass celebrated, the Prince Archbishop said Nigeria as a member of the United Nations, has no choice but to abide by the decision of the ICJ regardless of whether it is able to put its house in order by ensuring that the appropriate legislative agency ratify such a decision.
He said the fact that Bakassi was listed in the constitution of Nigeria was secondary to the ratification of the ICJ ruling by the National Assembly, pointing out that the meeting between the commission and President Yar’Adua “brought about a line of action on” Bakassi. The problem is the internal problem of Nigeria and it is not relevant to the ruling. We cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time,” he said. He warned that the agreement ceding the relevant territories to Cameroon had four witnesses —Germany, Britain, France and the United States of America— and Nigeria must not take this with levity. The clergyman while concluding, he prays for peace in the country and the entire world saying that they can never be development without peace.