The alarm from Senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, that Nigeria may soon lose some communities in Danari, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, to Cameroun if the international boundary adjustment going on there is not immediately halted, should not be taken lightly by the federal government.
Ndoma-Egba (Cross River Central), who expressed the fear under Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules, revealed that the boundary adjustment in his constituency was causing a lot of anxiety among his people, who are worried that the exercise will result in the loss of their territory to Cameroun. The Senate Leader said the sketchy information in his possession suggests that the exercise is in pursuant to the Green Tree Agreement that led to the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun in 2008.
He said he would travel to his constituency immediately to obtain first-hand information from his people, to enable him table a formal motion on the floor. Expectedly, Senate President David Mark called for a vote on the proposed motion that was overwhelmingly approved by the chamber. Mark said Nigeria must never, under any circumstance, surrender one millimeter of its land to any country, irrespective of whether the United Nations or African Union is supervising such boundary adjustment.
We can understand the position of Ndoma-Egba, on the happening in his constituency. It is, however, worrisome how international bodies, like the United Nations and African Union would go about adjusting boundaries without hint to the nations concerned. Nigeria ought to know that the exercise is going on. If Nigeria was duly informed, neither the people of Danari communities nor the Senate would have been taken by surprise.
At this time of insecurity in Nigeria occasioned by suspected cross-border attacks, it is wrong for anyone to secretly adjust boundaries as their presence can fuel suspicion and provoke lawlessness. It is, therefore, not just enough for the Senate leader to rush back to his constituency; the Senate should investigate the veracity of the so-called UN or AU personnel involved in the exercise. Nigeria cannot afford to lose any piece of land to Cameroun anymore.
The ceding of Bakassi by former President Olusegun Obasanjo is one of the greatest errors made by any head of state in history.
It is the first time any country would claim that it owns the land whose inhabitants had lived there long before the emergence of the two contending countries. The mostly Efik people of the place called Bakassi had lived in the Peninsula long before the German and later France and England colonized the place called Cameroun. Yet Cameroun was given the place and people asked to remain there as “tenants”.
If the alleged boundary adjustment is in line with the Green Tree Agreement then the process is faulty because Nigeria will undoubtedly be marginalized. The Senate should act fast to halt any boundary adjustment that is done hastily which will ultimately deduct Nigeria of its people or land. The fear of Danari people is in order. They do not want to lose their land like the people of Bakassi who had earlier received similar treatment, courtesy of a nation’s poor leadership that was bent on winning international approbation at the expense of its citizens.
Cameroun wanted Bakassi because of its oil wealth and it has been given. Any attempt to convert other Nigerian communities in the border to Cameroun must be seen as an international strategy and conspiracy to de-land and depopulate Nigeria in order to water down its influence in the comity of nations. We stand firmly with the Senate and other Nigerians that Nigeria cannot surrender any piece of its land anymore.
