Bakassi - Yar'Adua Seeks Senate's Ratification - Thisday

Posted to the web 12 December 2007

Sufuyan Ojeifo
Abuja

President Umaru Musa Yar' Adua has forwarded the Green Tree Agreement entered into by former president Olusegun Obasanjo and Cameroonian President Paul Biya, ceding the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, to the Senate for ratification.

Obasanjo had ceded the oil-rich Peninsula to Cameroon in August last year following the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague on October 10, 2002 and a June 12, 2006 agreement at Green Tree, New York.

But the Senate had on November 22, this year, rejected the cession saying the former president ceded the area to Cameroon without ratification by the National Assembly.

The Senate then urged the President to submit the agreement to the National Assembly for scrutiny without further delay to enable the assembly determine whether or not it is in the interest of Nigeria to ratify the agreement.

Yar' Adua, in a letter dated December 7, 2007, which was read on the floor of the Senate yesterday, requested that the Senate ratify the agreement as demanded by the 1999 Constitution.

In the two-page letter, copies of which were sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation and the Cross River State Governor, the President asked the Senate to take other appropriate actions as prescribed by the constitution.

In the letter entitled: "Re: ICJ Judgment: The Green Tree Agreement Between Nigeria and Cameroon," he said: "You may kindly note that having subscribed to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, Nigeria became duty bound to respect its judgment of 10th October, 2002, which confers the sovereignty of Cameroon over the Bakassi Peninsula.

"Similarly, recall that in furtherance of that, and, as a responsible member of the comity of nations as directed by the International Law and procedure, Nigeria entered into the Green Tree Agreement with Cameroon on the modalities of implementation of that judgment.

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