Senate Moves To Recover Nigeria’s 2,560 Oil Wells, Gas Resources Allegedly Stolen By Cameroon
The Senate has initiated moves to recover about 2,560 oil wells, and yet to be quantified gas resources allegedly stolen by the Republic of Cameroon.
The oil and gas resources are said to be embedded in mangrove islands spread across 16 communities in Effiat, somewhere in Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom State.
The annexed communities line the terminal end of Nigeria’s territory bordering the Gulf of Guinea, down seaward to the Atlantic Ocean coast.
The senator representing Akwa Ibom North East district, Aniekan Bassey, who raised the alarm during plenary on Tuesday, lamented that the encroachment into these territories has cost Nigeria huge economic losses
“Also very pathetically, it is a monumental national embarrassment that foreign laws are imposed by the Cameroon Gendarmes on Nigerians living in the 16 Nigerian ancestral homes and villages and in the said mangrove islands,”Bassey said.
Senator Bassey, who introduced the matter in a motion, through Order 41 of the Senate Rules, said the affected Nigerian territories have been under the administrative control of Cameroon illegally.
He clarified that the territories in question were not part of the ones covered by the October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice, which prompted the Nigerian government to cede the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
Bassey’s motion partly reads, “Aware that these islands and waters are economically important to the region, as it hosts copious fishing routes and approximately over 2,560 oil wells as well as gas revenues that should accrue to the Nigerian Government but which are lost to the Republic of Cameroun as a result of the illegal annexation of the islands by the Republic of Cameroun.
“Concerned that Nigerians living in the said Mangroves Islands comprising about 16 villages and ancestral home in an area recognized and provided for in the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (As Amended) and which was not ceded to Cameroun Republic by the 1913 treaties and the International Court of Justice judgement, being uncomfortable with Cameroun Soldiers in their communities even when no Cameroonian lives in that community took to an open protests.
“Further aware that two months after the protest of March 19, 2016, Cameroun President, Mr. Paul Biya during his visit to Nigeria on the 5th May 2016, enquired from the Former President Muhammadu Buhari about Nigeria’s position on Bakassi Peninsula and the Nigerian-Cameroun hydrocarbon joint ventures and was informed by Former President Buhari that Nigeria had accepted the International Court of Justice judgement but that the technical aspect of the international waters, which is the embodiment of the said Nigerian Mangroves islands and waters, is yet to be fully determined.
“Worried that the continued expansionist foreign policy of the Republic of Cameroun after independence of our country by illegal annexation and vigorous pursuit for the 16 villages of the Nigerian Mangrove Islands, waters and oil, constitutes a breach of international laws, an affront on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s economic resources as well as national embarrassment.
“Recalls that Resolution 16 (1) of the First Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the Organization of African Unity held in Cairo from 17th to 21 July 1964, all African Nations including the Republic of Cameroun pledged to respect the borders of other African States after the attainment of National Independence.
“Cognizant that the Anglo German treaties of 11th March, 1913 lay the Mangrove Islands firmly within Nigerian Territory as they lay west of the Rio Del Ray River and serves as the official border line between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroun as reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice judgement on the 10th day of October, 2002.
“Observes that although the International Court of Justice had ordered both Nigeria and Cameroun to withdraw sovereignty over areas they were not entitled to under the 1913 Anglo German treaties, which resulted in Nigeria hurriedly ceding over 32 villages from Adamawa to the Lake Chad areas to the Republic of Cameroun.
“Cameroun cannot hold up Nigerian territories to ransom, thus, adversely affecting the people and the economy of the entire nation.”
Ruling on the matter, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio said the Senate leadership would engage with the Presidency on the matter, with a view to retrieving the oil wells and gas resources taken by Cameroon illegally.
The Senate consequently set up a committee of its members, chaired by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo central) to conduct full investigation into the matter and report back in six weeks.
Senate Moves To Recover Nigeria’s 2,560 Oil Wells, Gas Resources Allegedly Stolen By Cameroon is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
