The Nigerian Senate has constituted an ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged annexation of maritime territories, mangrove islands villages of Effiat clan in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
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The resolution is sequel to adoption of a motion, sponsored by Senator Aniekan Bassey (PDP-Akwa Ibom) and co-sponsored by six other senators at plenary on Tuesday.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) was named Chairman of the ad-hoc committee.
Members of the committee included senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC-Ondo) Seriake Dickson (PDP-Baylesa), Shehu Kaka (APC-Borno), Ipalibo Harry Banigo (PDP-Rivers).
Also in the committee are, senators Agom Jarigbe (PDP-Rivers), Ekong Sampson (PDP-Akwa Ibom), Aniekan Bassey (PDP-Akwa Ibom).
The Mbo Mangrove Island is a fishing settlement, west of the Rio Del Ray estuary and serves as the official borderline between Nigeria and Cameroon.
According to reports, the island hosts oil wells and abundant gas reserves.
Bassey, in his motion brought under Orders 41 and 51 of Senate standing rules, said the areas were not part of the territory ceded to the government of Cameroon.
He said, given the 1913 Anglo-Japan treaties and the International Court of Justice ruling of October 2002, the encroachment into the territories was illegal.
He said the encroachment had led to a huge economic loss of over 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues, which were to accrue to Nigeria.
He said the annexation was very pathetic, saying that it remained a monumental and national embarrassment that foreign laws were imposed by the Cameroonian government on Nigerians living in 16 ancestral homes and villages.
Bassey said it was a threat that the Anglo-Island waters situated at the geographical location of Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom was currently under administrative control of the Republic of Cameroon.
This, he said, is illegal and contrary to the 1913 Anglo-Japan treaties and the International Court of Justice decision of October 2002 and Section 12 subsections sections 1,2 3 of the Nigerian Constitution as amended.
He said the islands and waters are economically important to the region, as it also hosts copious fishing routes.
He said it was worrisome that the continued expansion of foreign policy of the Republic of Cameroon, after independence of Nigeria through illegal annexation of the 16 villages of the Nigerian mangrove Islands, waters and oil wells constituted a breach of international law.
“It is an affront on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s economic resources,” he said.
He said the International Court of Justice had ordered both Nigeria and Cameroon to withdraw sovereignty over areas they were not entitled to under 1913 Anglo-German treaties.
This, he said, resulted in Nigeria hurriedly ceding over 32 villages from Adamawa to the Lake Chad areas to the Republic of Cameroon
He, however, said Cameroon on its part had continued to hold up Nigerian territories thus, adversely affecting the people and the economy of the entire nation.
Contributing to the motion, Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano) said there was an urgent need for action on the annexation by the government of Cameroon.
He urged the relevant agencies such as the National Boundary Commission to swing into action and protect Nigerians and interest of the nation at large.
Senator Victor Umeh (LP-Anambra) advised that frantic efforts should be made to enforce the International Court of Justice ruling on the mangrove islands, saying that Nigeria cannot be beneficiary of the judgment and not enforce it.
Umeh urged the Attorney General of the Federation to seek a way to enforce the judgment delivered since 2012 that the mangrove islands was part of Nigeria.
“Let us act fast and recover our territory with over 2,000 oil wells,” he said.
Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim (APC-Ondo) described threats from Cameroon as challenging the sovereignty of Nigeria.
”We need to report it to the United Nations,” Ibrahim said.
Other lawmakers, who spoke on the motion were senators Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi), Seriake Dickson (PDP-Baylesa), and Asuquo Ekpoyong (APC-Cross-River).
The Senate also, in its resolution, said its leadership would engage President Bola Tinubu on the issue, while urging the President to engage diplomatic relations on the issue of illegal annexation of Nigeria’s maritime territory and mangrove islands by Cameroon.
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