A renowned professor of International Law, Akin Oyebode, on Friday, gave a vivid account of how former President Olusegun Obasanjo frustrated Nigeria’s bid to fend off Cameroun’s controversial acquisition of Nigeria’s oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula.

Featuring on a Channels Television personality interview programme, Sunrise, the don questioned the rationale behind Obasanjo’s decision to rush to sign the Green Tree Agreement with the Francophone country shortly after the ruling of International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on the disputed territory.

He said though the government’s legal team comprised some brilliant experts, Nigeria only sent its Third Eleven, while Cameroun assembled six English and French legal experts to argue its case.

He also said the government of General Sani Abacha discountenanced the wise counsel of legal luminaries on International Law, including Professor Ayo Ojomo as well as foreign experts that Nigeria had a “rickety” case.

Recalling how late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, warned Cameroun to steer clear of Nigeria’s sovereignty or be prepared to face dire consequences, the former vice chancellor of the Ekiti State University, noted that former President Shehu Shagari demonstrated weakness when Cameroun gendarmes killed Nigerian soldiers during his tenure.

He was concerned about reports that the aggrieved natives of the disputed territory, Southern Cameroun and militants were reportedly holding consultations with the motive of proclaiming the Republic of Abasonia.

Citing two instances that involved the United States on Nicaragua and India over Portugal‘s disputed territories at separate times in the past to buttress his points, the erudite scholar said Nigeria could have taken some steps long before the legal tangle, that would have rendered the ICJ verdict unbinding.

He said while the judgment of ICJ was often final on issues, a number of options were still opened to the country, following indications that the agreement signed by Obasanjo with his Camerounian counterpart, President Paul Biya in the US on Bakassi, had not actually been implemented.

He said one of such options should be if the government had fresh information that could warrant a successful appeal to the World Court, which could be strengthened by adopting the “principle of accent,” as the people were not carried along in the entire process.

According to him, another option is military operation, but Oyebode wondered if the country is prepared for such major conflict in the face of complaints by military authorities that they were already been overstretched because of internal security challenges.

Coupled with those challenges were Nigeria’s commitments in international peace operations and the fact that Cameroun enjoys military backing from France, adding that Cameroun had already turned the disputed territory into a fortress.

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Ajoriwin Stool.
written by Olayiwola Olasewere, August 25, 2012

History of 1952 that cause Wahala, will never repeat itself.
ELDERS of IRAWO take note.

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