Bakassi Peninsular: Legal ownership by Cameroon yes.

But Bakassi remains de facto Nigerian.

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

Cameroon awaits total handover (if possible) of the disputed oil-rich Bakassi peninsular with joy and anxiety on the 14^th August, 2008.

Legal ownership by Cameroon yes, but Bakassi remains de facto Nigerian.

In an editorial comment on the Herald Newspaper, its Publisher/Editor in chief, Dr. Boniface Forbin, says it is important that as Bakassi reverts to Cameroon, the Yaounde authorities should move to settle Cameroonians there and effectively occupy it. That it is occupation by Cameroonians that can truly secure ownership of the peninsular. Forbin however expressed worry that the continuous exclusive occupation of the place by Nigerians would in future tempt another Abuja ruler like the late military dictator Sani Abaca to pounce on the peninsular again. And that the repeated motions in the Nigerian parliament, rejecting transfer to Cameroon is a warning not to ignore.

Meanwhile, a recent visit to the area by four European Union heads of mission helped to draw attention to a major problem of Cameroon's ownership of the peninsular.

Although Bakassi, by court judgment, belongs to Cameroon, “the Islands are still almost wholly occupied by Nigerians. Only a handful of Cameroonians live there,” Forbin agues.

The EU ambassadors viz: the EU delegates, the Dutch and Spanish ambassadors and the British High Commissioner traveled to the peninsular to formally hand over a set of primary school classrooms and a health centre built with EU funds on the two adjacent islands of Kombo Amunja 1 and 3.

Though intended for Cameroonians, it is Nigerians who overwhelmingly populate the islands that are benefiting from the facilities.

“Javier Puyol, the EU chief who headed the delegation, regretted the crying absence of Cameroonians on the two islands. Noting the highly deprived, degraded and squalid conditions of living on the island, Puyol urged the government to woo Cameroonians to Bakassi by investing extensively in social amenities,” Forbin, revealed. Adding “though Puyol did not speak much his remarks led straight to a sensitive point that often comes up in discussion.”

While Nigerians continue to occupy Bakassi almost exclusively as is the case now Cameroon's hold on the Peninsular remains uncertain. Having successfully obtain legal ownership of the place, “it would seem to be a matter of commonsense to be effectively occupying it by attracting Cameroonians to settle in the area. Failure does not bode well for the future of Bakassi”, forbin advised.

It should be noted here that the small military presence there spread into insignificance over the scattering of islets is far too inadequate. It takes only a little ill-will from Abuja today or tomorrow and Yaounde's hold on Bakassi is put to question all over.

The fact that there have already been repeated motions in the Nigeria parliament to question the transfer makes this prospect no joking matter.

Moreover, in a world in which long cherished values and accepted modes of conducts are constantly being called to question, Yaounde cannot simply trust in the goodwill of others. Putting Cameroonians in Bakassi is the only sure way of holding the peninsular.

It was the same reason of the neglect of Bakasssi by Cameroon, and its exclusive occupation by Nigerians that tempted the military regime of Sani Abacha to seize the place, and cause such uproar lasting thirteen years.

Militarily and diplomatically Cameroon could not match Nigeria. It took the strong and active commitment of Kofi Annan, to bring Nigeria, under Olusengun Obasanjo, to yield to returning Bakassi to Cameroon.

Paul Biya had been remarkably unable to handle the matte. Overestimating the power of the ICJ verdict, he threw away an opportunity to get Baassi back on a platter of gold.

With Jacques Chirac as witness, Abdulssalami Abubakar who took over power following the sudden death of Abacha came to Yaounde with the offer but Biya left him waiting for hours at the Nsimalen airport.

At the same time Biya put on a sour anti-Nigerian mood that led to shutting the door to everything Nigeria, hardly suspecting that the path leading from the awaited verdict from The Hague would oblige being friendly with the Nigerians and even coaxing them. Thanks to Kofi Anan who made up for Biya's crippling shortcomings.

It turned out as a profoundly instructive leason for Biya that the ICJ verdict was far from being all, and that the read to the recovery of Bakassi was still far ahead, four years away, and requiring lots of diplomacy.

Paul Biya has no reason to continue to depend on the goodwill of friends and partners. Abuja's goodwill could fail someday in the future and we would be back to square one.

Nigeria's strongest argument in the Bakassi case was always the overwhelming occupation of the peninsular by Nigerian citizens. And that is also where Cameroon's argument of actual ownership lies.

Cameroon's prime minister Ephraim Inoni, once told Javier Puyol during an audience that Cameroon intended to keep the Nigerian population in Bakassi very much at ease.

With apparently no plan in view by Yaounde to settle Cameroonians there that could mean that Nigerians are in Bakassi again for a long time more to come. Time long enough to tempt another Abacha-like in Abuja again?