The federal government has told the people of? Bakassi? who have been threatening secession from Nigeria and Cameroon to obey the laws of their new government, Cameroon.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by its spokesman, Ogbole Ode, the government said that it would abide by the judgement of the International Court of Justice and? Green Tree Agreement, which is the a framework erected by the United Nations to help Nigeria and Cameroon implement the ICJ verdict.?
It frowned at recent attempts by some groups to spurn and repudiate the October 10, 2002 ICJ judgement which delineated Nigeria/Cameroon land and maritime border, and ceded Bakassi to Cameroon and said that Nigeria is “a responsible, peace-loving and law-abiding country,” and will “respect international law and treaty obligations, and to settle international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication.”
The government urged all aggrieved parties to seek legal redress rather than resort to violence.
However, the federal government promised to “continue to take every diplomatic step in its engagements with Cameroon, to ensure that their rights are fully protected.”
Recently, there has been an upsurge in calls from various groups for the federal government to reject the ICJ judgement and GTA with a self-styled group, Bakassi Self-determination Front threatening to declare Bakassi peninsula an independent nation.