Bakassi: Reps move to nullify ICJ judgment

The House of Representatives has said it would nullify the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon based on the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2002.
The lawmakers have asked the Federal Government to begin the review of the ICJ judgment before October 10.
The people of Bakassi are seeking a United Nations-supervised plebiscite on its rights to self-determination.
According to the lawmakers, the judgment was not an error and it contravened Article 6 of the General Act Berlin Conference.

The lawmakers said Nigeria can seek a revision of the judgment based on new facts in consonance with the ICJ’s Article of Status.
Their decision followed the adoption of a motion by Ekpeyong Uri (PDP, Cross Rivers), who deplored the ceding of Bakassi and the implementation of the ICJ judgment by Nigeria.
He said Nigeria can remedy the situation and cited Article 61 of the Status of the ICJ.
According to him, Nigeria would not be an exception in seeking for a review, saying, different countries have applied for the revision of the ICJ judgments.
He cited Elsavador and Honduras in 2002, the 1996 judgement between Yugoslavia and Bosnia Herzegovina in 2001 and Tunisia and Libya in 1982.
Uri said the Bakassi people wants a United Nations plebiscite where they wiould exercise their rights to self-determination.
Chairman, Committee on Business and Rules, Albert Sam-(PDP. Taraba) who, said Taraba was also affected by the judgment, emphasised the urgency in setting up the process of revision.
He said if nothing was done, the country would have lost its chances of reclaiming the Peninsula.
”If there are new facts, review can be applied for,” he added.
The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal.