HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT: BAKASSI PENISULA TO CAMEROON: GOING, GOING, GONE.

By midnight (12 midnight) Wednesday October, 2012, baring any last minute Appeal, Bakassi Penisula, the very land of Efik people of Calabar Province of the former Eastern Nigeria will have gone to Cameroon. But wait a minute! The mind-bugling questions to the people are:

1) Is Bakassi Nigerian Land?
2) If yes, above, who sold Bakassi to Cameroon?
Let us attempt to clear the air on these two questions. Bakassi is peopled by Efik people and speak Efik language of Old Calabar Province of former Eastern Nigeria. Cameroon was a Trust Territory of the First World War, administered by Germany. Bakassi was not part of the Trust Territory of the Cameroon, and was never administered by Germany. When Germany was defeated in the Second World War, Cameroon and all other Trust Territories of Germany were handed over to France. Cameroon thus became a Trust Territory of France in 1945. Bakassi was never part of the Cameroon and never was administered by France, Southern Cameroon spoke English. In 1888 the leaders of Bakassi sent a Message to her Majesty, The Queen of England, expressing their umbilical cord with Calabar. In 1913, a year before the Amalgamation, they repeated the same clearly stating they would have no discussion with Germany other than the Agreement reached with their brothers at Calabar, the headquarters of Efik Kingdom. Hence, before Amalgamation, Bakassi was clearly part of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate administered by Colonel Moore House, while Sir Walter Egerton was administering Lagos Colony. On Amalgamation, Bakassi was part of the Calabar Area or “Efik Kingdom” as it was then called because Provinces had not been created then.

Recall that Southern Cameroon was under the control of Germany before Amalgamation. Germany could not stay long and gave their Right of Administration to Britain, while France was administering Northern Cameroon. So, while North was speaking French, South was speaking English as official languages. Bakassi was never administered by British Commander of South Cameroon, but was administered first by Colonel Moore House as Governor of Southern Protectorate and lastly by Governor Lord Lugard of entire Nigeria.

There was no time Bakassi came under the administration of the Colonial Masters in Cameroon. When in 1923, Hugh Clifford conducted first Election in Nigeria in Lagos and Calabar, Bakassi land being part of Efik Kingdom had Election conducted in their land. No election was conducted in bordering towns of Cameroon sharing boundary with Bakassi because they are not Nigerians. When Hugh Clifford created Provinces in 1923, Bakassi Land was part of Efik Kindgom, and so, part of Calabar Province.

Bemard Bourdillon maintained this in April 1, 1939 when he created Eastern Provinces, Northern Provinces, and Western provinces. When in 1958, Plebscite was conducted in Cameroon whether they would like to belong to Nigeria or Cameroon, no election was conducted on Bakassi land, because they are part of Efik Kingdom and so, Nigerians. Also, when Southern Cameroon were represented in Eastern House of Assembly, the Representative was not covering Bakassi land which was duely represented by the Efik Representative.

As for the origin or aboriginal land of Bakassi, no other people from inestimable times had occupied Bakassi land before Bakassi People. So, Bakassi land, being Efik land, has always being Nigerian land. Then comes the mother of all questions: who sold Bakassi to Cameroon? This is very interesting question. But before we attempt to unravel this knotty but open-secret question, let us categorically re-assert that: at no time had Bakassi being part of the Cameroon.

Let us know that law of Karma better called Retributive Justice, or Nemeses or Do-it-receive-it played itself out in the sale of Bakassi Peninsula by General Yakubu Gowon to the Cameroon in 1968. Yes, Yakubu Gowon in August 1968, had been requested by Ahmadu Ahidjo, the then President of Cameroon to sell part of Nigeria, especially the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon as the condition for supporting Nigeria to win the civil war against Biafra. Recall that before then, Bakassi was used as the outlet to the Atlantic to bring in food to the Easterners. The then Finance Minister, the very Obafemi Awolowo had asked Gowon: how long do you continue to feed your enemies?

Rattled by the question, Gowon, Murtala Mohammed, Olusegun Obasanjo, Martin Adamu, Theophilus Danjuma, Hassan Katsina with the tacit approval of sultan Mohammed II and Ado Bayero, the emir of Kano swung into action. Gowon wanting to score a point did not even discuss this with the then Supreme Military Counsel, though they quietly approved of it. He contacted Alhamadu Ahidjo, and the Meeting was scheduled in Marua Town of Southern Cameroon in August 1968, the day Gowon, using stone, standing on Cameroon side “threw stone” saying that wherever the stone landed should be given to Cameroun, west ward to the Peninsula. The stone landed at the very point of entry of the Peninsula called Reo Del Ree.

Hence, General Yakubu Gowon, on the advice of Obafemi Awolowo, is using stone, stone-sold Bakassi to Cameroon. Other is history. The deed is done. The die is cast. The Rubicon has been crossed. Law of Karma has played out. Retributive Justice on Igbos have come home to row as hen. Yes, Bakassi became the land of Cameroon in August, 1968. Between 1968 and 2003 the battle raged until World Court ceiled it in favour of Cameroon. Going, going, gone is Bakassi.

I have no regrets.
I am not saying I am Igbo, but Igbos are vindicated. Bakassi should go to Cameroon. Fullstop. You cannot give a human being that treatment and go scout free. GOD is still in the heavens and saw how Gown and Nigerians treated Igbos between 1966 – 1970. The punishment of that to Nigeria, and one of them in particular, is that Bakassi has gone to Cameroon as agreed to between Gowon and Ahidjo in 1968. Full stop.

Bye-bye Bakassi.
Comrade Kindness Innocent Jonah is a seasoned Human Rights Activist and an unbiased National Commentator. Also visit these facebook sites: Justice Stand, Nigeria Unity and Kindness Innocent Jonah. Read his write-ups also in: the [email protected]. His Facebook Account is kindness Innocent Jonah. Please visit his site.

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