Bakassi case not closed, says Oyebode
By Emmanuel Oladesu 8 hours 1 minute ago
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Former University of Ado-Ekiti Vice Chancellor Prof. Akin Oyebode has declared that Nigeria can still reclaim the area of Bakassi Peninsula ceded to the Cameroun, based on the judgment of the International Court of Justice.
The Professor of International Law disputed the Green Treaty under which Nigeria and Cameroun agreed to give the land to the former French Colony, pointing out that it is not binding.


Oyebode, who suggested that military action could be invoked as a last resort said no African country can underrate the military might and potentials of Nigeria.
He alluded to the violation of the process of ceding part of Nigeria’s territory to another country, which he said was cleverly ignored by the Presidency, following the negotiation brokered in France by the French President between Cameroonian and Nigerian leaders.

Oyebode said: “The so-called treaty or agreement was never approved by the National Assembly”, maintaining that its implementation was done in error.
The University of Lagos teacher noted that, in the case of military confrontation, French’s military pact with Cameroun may predispose it to supporting its former colony. However, the legal scholar said France would hesitate to adopt that approach because of its enormous investment and other interests in Nigeria.
Oyebode, who spoke at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) One-On-One Programme, recalled that the military administration managed the Bakassi issue better.


The former Vice Chancellor urged Nigeria to press for the ownership of the disputed Peninsula, based on the fact that the National Assembly never ratified the controversial treaty. He said there is no way Cameroun can gain ownership of the disputed area and begin the exploitation of its oil resources without impinging on the rights of displaced Nigerians in Cross River State.

Oyebode also spoke on the state of the nation, especially the contentious national question, state police and lopsided federalism. He said state police will stem insecurity in the land because members of the community would be recruited into the police, thereby reducing unemployment.
He said Nigeria should also halt the practice of quasi federalism by adhering strictly to the spirit of true federalism.[url] http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/politics/61285-bakassi-case-not-closed-says-oyebode.htm[/url]l