29 November 2007
Posted to the web 29 November 2007
Chuks Okocha and Ernest Chinwo
Calabar
The former president said the National Assembly was duly informed of the decision to hand over the Peninsula to Cameroon.
Obasanjo said the last Senate and House of Representatives under the leadership of Senator Ken Nnamani and Hon. Aminu Bello Masari were duly served the Green Tree Agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon on the ceding of Bakassi for ratification by the National Assembly.
He was however silent on whether or not the agreement was ratified by the National Assembly.
The Senate had in a motion last week criticised the former president for allegedly ceding the Peninsula to Cameroon without ratification by the National Assembly, describing the act as unconstitutional.
Obasanjo replied the Senate in a statement entitled, "On the Ratification of the Bakassi Green Tree Agreement" signed by his Media Assistant, Mr. Adeoba Ojekunle,
According to Ojekunle, "The former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in two separate letters to the Senate and House of Representatives dated June 2006, officially conveyed to both chambers the said agreement including the modalities of implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment."
He said the letter, which was officially copied to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Governor of Cross River State specifically in paragraph three (3), requested the Assembly's "expeditious ratification of the Agreement".
Ojekunle said; "This is contrary to the widely held view that the last assembly was kept in the dark concerning the agreement.
"The personal records of the former President indicate that the letter was duly received on June 15 2006 and acknowledged by the two chambers.
"A copy of former President Obasanjo's letter dated June 15 2006 titled "ICJ Judgment Agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon" with reference number PRES /134 to the Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, read in parts: 'I hereby attach the agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon on the modalities of implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment on the land and maritime dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon. I also attach a map signed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, and Presidents of Nigeria and Cameroon as an appendix to the agreement. I would appreciate your expeditious ratification of the agreement, please. Accept the assurances of my highest consideration'. Olusegun Obasanjo as President signed the letter.
"The letter was copied to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General of the Federation, Governor of Cross River State and Secretary to the Government of the Federation," Ojekunle said.
Obasanjo had ceded the Peninsula to Cameroon on August 14, 2006 following the October 10, 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague and a June 12, 2006 agreement at Green Tree, New York where the former president agreed to surrender the Peninsula.
But after a debate on a motion entitled, "Impending Crisis in and Uncertain Fate of the People of Bakassi" jointly sponsored by Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw and 20 other Senators, the Senate resolved last Thursday to draw the attention of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to the breach of the constitution on the issue.
The upper legislative chamber specifically resolved to "draw the attention of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the fact that the transfer of Bakassi and other parts of Nigeria to Cameroon under the agreement of June 12, 2006 without ratification by the National Assembly as required by Section 12 (1) of our Constitution is unconstitutional." Full Story
No comments:
Post a Comment