November 26 , 2007
PRESS RELEASE
ALL NIGERIAN AMERICAN CONGRESS ON RECENT ACTIONS BY
THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS ON BAKASSI PENNISULA
We the members of the Board of Trustees of All Nigerian American Congress on behalf of all Nigerians in the International Community hereby release the following statements on the recent events and actions by the Nigerian Senate in respect of the Bakassi border dispute.
The Nigerian Senate's proclamation to oppose the "Green
Tree Agreement" of 2004 that transferred Bakassi
peninsular to the Cameroonian sovereignty is indeed a correctstep, though the intent of this statement is not to comment on the legality of the claim by Nigeria or Cameroon over the saidterritory, our intent is to establish the correct adherence to the Nigerian Constitution, and common international rule of law, which is observed generally by all democratic sovereign nations ontreaties. This rule as well as the Nigerian Constitution calls for theratification of any treaty reached by the executive arm of governmentby the National Congress or the law making arm of government for any such treaty to be established as a legal law of the land.
A short review of the incident regarding the Bakassi dispute.
A United Nations High court called The World Court in The Hague ruled
against Nigeria in her Dispute with Cameroon on Bakassi
Peninsula. The Nigerian Executive arm, led by then President OlusegunObasanjo agreed preliminarily to accept the
outcome of the litigation. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
negotiated for a Boundary readjustment to cover other
areas of the Nigerian-Cameroonian boundary that were
in dispute. Nigeria ended up without Bakassi
peninsula while it gained some stretch of land in the
Northern part of Nigeria through the protracted work
of the Boundary commission.
President Olusegun Obasanjo in an ill adviced, go it alone attitude, went
ahead and ceded Bakassi territory to Cameroon
without the Nigerian National Assembly ratification. This is
against the Nigerian constitution. The intent of this statement isnot to question the negotiation of the treaty, correctly orwrongly as it may be, that is the prerogative of the executive governmentof Nigeria and not the subject of this statement. However, when suchagreement is reached on behalf of Nigeria, the Nigerian Constitution and commonlaw calls for the ratification of all such treaties by the law making arm of the government. Nigeria must set aright all its errors. We in All Nigerian American Congress on behalf of All Nigerians in the International communityapplaud the actions of the Nigerian Senate. The new executive arm of theNigerian government should move to present this treaty for debate and ratification before the legislative arm of government. The Senate must move to ratify the outcome of the The Word Court judgment retrospectively albeit the
work of the Boundary Commission in order to give a legal backing to the treaty.
It is important to understand this complex scenario that if the Senate
rejects the "Green Tree Agreement", the law of Nigeria must stand sovereignover all territories of Nigeria. We should avoid speculations as to the vote of theNigerian legislature, regardless of any views on Bakassi Pennisula, we must first adhereto the rule of law, and strict obedience to the sovereignty of Nigeria and her constitution.
Thank you.
Abdulateef O. Kareem MD,M.P.H
ANAC Secretary. General
Dan E. Austin M.D
ANAC Chairman, Board of Trustees