The Director General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Alhaji Sadeeq Diggi said at the weekend that it would be difficult for the Federal Government to renege on the decision of the World Court over Bakassi Peninsula which was handed over to Cameroon by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Diggi in an interview with THISDAY in Brnin Kebbi said it would be an embarrassment for Nigeria to renege on the court’s decision now because the Green Tree agreement was signed by President Obasanjo and referred to the Senate.
The Senate last week criticized the former president for allegedly ceding the peninsula to Cameroon without ratification by the National Assembly, describing the act as unconstitutional.
According to the NBC boss, the Green Tree agreement was signed in the presence of United States , United Kingdom, Germany and France.
He said former President Obasanjo actually passed the letter to the Senate in June last year for ratification.
Said he � I cannot tell you much about this, all I know is that it is going to be very difficult to revert that decision because the then president signed the agreement in the presence of United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France which is binding. And to be fair to the former administration after signing it, he passed the letter to the Senate urging them to ratify it on 15th of June 2006.
And it was received by the Senate�.�So, we are only hoping that the Senate will soon ratify the Green Tree agreement.
But I cannot talk for the Senate. It will be an embarrassment on Nigeria to renege on an agreement signed before some countries, he said.
Diggi explained that Nigeria had already been complying by leaving two third to Cameroon and that Nigeria was only occupying two over seven of what it was occupying before.He said the country had withdrawn its soldiers, administration of the oil rich area and left with only Abana which the country is expected to quit by August next year.
�We have already left two-thirds to Cameroon . We are only occupying two over seven of what we are occupying before. We have withdrawn our soldiers, we have withdrawn our administration and all what we are controlling now is Abana. And by the agreement we are supposed to leave Abana by August next year�.
On whether the world court verdict on Bakassai favoured Nigeria, the DG argued that Nigeria gained substantial part in the agreement despite the fact that the area was ceded to Cameroon, adding that all the oil wells are still in the custody of Nigerian government apart from some kilometers gained from Taraba, Adamawa and other places.
�To the best of my knowledge, Nigeria has gained a lot in the sense that we have been able to save all our oil wells, including those being claimed by Cameroon. We got a chunk of land from Cameroon especially in Taraba, Adamawa and some other places.
�It is really a pity we lost Bakassi but we have been gaining elsewhere especially in Taraba where we got at least 90 square kilometers, from Adamawa we got 66 square kilometers and in Borno too. But we also lost in some places�.
He therefore appealed to the Senate to reconsider the agreement in the interest of the country and also look into the letter written by former President Obasanjo.
Alhaji Diggi however declined comments on what will be the implication if the Senate remains adamant on Bakassi issue, saying �I don�t know it is very difficult for me to comment on its implication�.
Besides, the DG disclosed that the Federal Government had released the sum of N1.1billion for the development of border areas in 21 states of the country.
He added that the commission had already commenced the construction of boreholes, health centres, primary and secondary schools, police and immigration posts among other facilities.
Dec32007