Conference urges FG to resettle Bakassi people

This decision was reached during the consideration of the report of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters at plenary. The committee was headed by Professor Ibrahim Gambari with Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu as his deputy.Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, a delegate from Cross River state had pleaded with delegates to support the formulation of a resettlement […]

This decision was reached during the consideration of the report of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters at plenary. The committee was headed by Professor Ibrahim Gambari with Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu as his deputy.
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, a delegate from Cross River state had pleaded with delegates to support the formulation of a resettlement policy for the people of the peninsula “who were only relocated but not resettled.”
She explained that the people have suffered untold hardship due to no fault of theirs stressing that even though the ICJ judgment was irreversible after the 10 years window that was open to appeal closed, those affected should not be left in perpetual suffering.
“I believe that having subjected the people to suffering, to hardship, although the people have been relocated, they have not been resettled. I appeal to this august house passionately to show compassion by ensuring that the people of Bakassi are adequately compensated
“I appreciate the sympathy, the effort, the enthusiasm, the interest shown by Nigerians on the issue of Bakassi. We had 10 years to appeal that judgment and Nigeria did not. I did not see any way that today we can go back and revisit that case. Any exercise carried out on that case, in my opinion is an exercise in futility.
“What I am appealing to this country is let Bakassi people move on, resettle Bakassi people properly, compensate Bakassi…all we are asking for is for us to resettle the people of Bakassi,” she said.