Boko Haram, graft top agenda as Clinton visits Nigeria
Gowon, Obasanjo in eye of storm over Bakassi
GROWING insecurity, especially terrorism, and corruption, which have emerged as the main obstacles to Nigeria’s development will be on the front burner when President Goodluck Jonathan receives American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, next Thursday, August 9 in Abuja.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, who has arrived home in preparation for the visit, explained yesterday that Clinton’s visit to Africa, which started last week had a stop in the country as a priority, dismissing speculations that she had sidelined Nigeria all together.
“I can confirm that Mrs. Clinton would be meeting President Jonathan and other top Federal Government officials in Abuja on Thursday,” Adefuye stated.
He stressed that it was the long-given commitment of Jonathan to honour an invitation from Jamaica that prevented a Clinton stop in Nigeria and meeting with the President on August 2.
According to Adefuye, Washington had wanted a meeting with the President and other top officials for last Thursday, but the Jamaican government had long wanted Dr. Jonathan at its National Day. He said considering the Federal Government’s commitment to Africans in Diaspora, that date, which was earlier secured before the Clinton trip, had to be honoured by the President.
He added that based on the effective working relationship between the U.S. government and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC, the new date for Clinton’s one-day visit has now been mutually agreed to.
In another development, some eminent Nigerians, including a former Minister for Information, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, have asserted that one-time Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo owed the country an explanation over the treaty of 1970-1975 ceding Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun and the signing of the Green Tree Accord (GTA), which finally transferred the territory following the ruling of International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the dispute.
They spoke in Lagos yesterday at the 11th Brainstorming Session of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on “The 1861 Annexation of Lagos As A British Crown Colony: Matters Arising,” as the people of Bakassi Peninsula await the former ratification of the October 10, 2002 judgment by the global court.
It was argued by experts yesterday that the ratification of the judgment would seal any attempt by Nigeria to appeal the verdict.
Also on the occasion, participants unanimously faulted historical claims that the role played by the late Oba Dosumu of Lagos in the 1861 annexation of Lagos was against the interest of the city, saying that he was heroic in his dealings with Britain.
They also described the annexation as a commercial adventure, stressing that it was not driven by human interest as being claimed by Britain.
Those at the event, which attracted notable people from the academia, diplomatic corps, legislature and traditional institution among others, included former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Senator Olorumimbe Momora, Amb. George Obiozor, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Mr. Sam Amuka, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, Amb. Robert Clark, Prof. Rafiu Akindle, Prof. Tekena Tamuno, Prof. Margaret Vogts, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, Amb. Dapo Fafowora, Prof. Alaba Ogunsowo, Prof. Akin Oyebode, Associate Professor Fred Agwu, Alex Ekeanyanwu of NIIA, Prof. Abolade Adeniji, Prof. Kunle Lawal and Prof. Bolanle Awe.
The speakers contended that despite the sad and negative imports of the treaty and other treaties, Nigeria and other African nations who went through similar experiences have failed to learn their lessons but still sign ill thought-out agreements.
However, Erelu Dosumu regretted that the late Oba’s (monarch’s) role in the annexation of Lagos had been wrongly placed on the wrong side of history.
According to her, “while it is tempting to want to join the argument on the different and sometimes distorted accounts on the role of Oba Dosumu in signing the treaty ceding Lagos to the United Kingdom, I simply would like to use this opportunity to welcome you to the celebrations, which started a year ago, where experts, historians, actors and actresses are putting the records straight through intellectual discusses, workshops and a host of other interesting activities.
“If there is any other massage I have today, it is the fact that the treaty of Lagos was about trade, it established a relationship between Her Majesty, Queen Victoria’s government and Lagos, which later expanded to Nigeria as a whole. The treaty of Lagos was about promotion of trade and investment and economic cooperation in general and not territorial takeovers, which my extensive research revealed.”
Detailing the expected highlights of Clinton’s visit, Adefuye said issues to be discussed would include Boko Haram, while Clinton also wanted to personally express satisfaction and gratitude over the success of the Nigeria-U.S. Bi-National Commission (BNC) accord she personally signed two years ago.
Indeed the success of the BNC between both countries led to signing a similar agreement between Nigeria and Canada that has their diplomatic relations.
During Clinton’s meeting with Jonathan and National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Boko Haram is expected to come up. She would also hold talks with the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde. There are also plans for her to meet Chief Justice Alooma Mukthar.
Confirming that Republicans in the U.S. Congress are planning to force an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organisation) designation on Boko Haram, Adefuye said the Nigerian embassy was fighting hard to prevent such a move.
Bakassi had been the subject of violent disputes between the two neighbours for decades until they agreed to a United Nations (UN)-backed process to settle the matter.
The ICJ resolved the issue with a ruling in 2002. The verdict was followed by the 2006 GTA – signed under the auspices of former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, under which Nigeria recognised Camerounian sovereignty over the Peninsula, one part of the border.
However, on November 22, 2007, the Nigerian Senate rejected the transfer, since the GTA ceding the area to Cameroun was contrary to Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Regardless of the Upper House’s position, the territory was formally transferred to Cameroun on August 14, 2008.
The peninsula lies roughly between latitudes 4°25’ and 5°10’N and longitudes 8°20’ and 9°08’E. It consists of a number of low-lying, largely mangrove-covered islands covering an area of around 665 kilometres and it is also very rich in crude oil.
Ofonagoro contended that it was illegal for Gowon to have ceded it to Cameroun without due regards to the nation’s law, which says no one has the right to give out any part of Nigeria’s territory to any other country.
He also queried why other areas of former Cameroun that are parts of Nigeria today went through plebiscites and then decided to join the federation but Bakassi people were not availed the opportunity.
He added that Obasanjo, who publicly said the defunct Supreme Military Council agreed that it was wrong for Gowon to have ceded the territory to Cameroun, went ahead to formally sign off Bakassi without resorting to the National Assembly after the ICJ’s ruling.
“If Obasanjo had obeyed the law by taking it to the National Assembly, they would have called a public hearing on the matter and Bakassi would still be part of Nigeria, and there would have been no bloodshed. But it didn’t happen that way. The two heads of state and the president that caused the problem are Gowon and Obasanjo,” Ofonagoro said.
He also observed that despite the judgment of an Abuja High Court asking the Federal Government to support the self determination drive of a group of Bakassi people over their maltreatment by the Camerounian authority, successive administrations have refused to do anything on the people’s predicament.
While calling for more researches on the issue before the October 10 date, he contended that only the Bakassi people and non-governmental organisations can fight the cause, since the government has refused to do anything.
But Akinterinwa, the Director-General of NIIA, said the Federal Government was induced into error of judgment and that it could still be corrected before it was too late. As a group, the Bakassi Self-determination Front is now positioning to fight for the people’s right.
He noted that in the event of armed struggle, Nigeria, the UN and the international community may be drawn into the crisis.
In such a scenario, he said a plebiscite may be called, Nigeria and Cameroun may be told to jointly rule the territory or Bakassi Peninsula becomes a sovereign state.
But Vogt, UN Representative in Central African Republic, said that Nigeria also gained from the ICJ judgment as parts of Cameroun were also ceded to her.
GROWING insecurity, especially terrorism, and corruption, which have emerged as the main obstacles to Nigeria’s development will be on the front burner when President Goodluck Jonathan receives American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, next Thursday, August 9 in Abuja.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, who has arrived home in preparation for the visit, explained yesterday that Clinton’s visit to Africa, which started last week had a stop in the country as a priority, dismissing speculations that she had sidelined Nigeria all together.
“I can confirm that Mrs. Clinton would be meeting President Jonathan and other top Federal Government officials in Abuja on Thursday,” Adefuye stated.
He stressed that it was the long-given commitment of Jonathan to honour an invitation from Jamaica that prevented a Clinton stop in Nigeria and meeting with the President on August 2.
According to Adefuye, Washington had wanted a meeting with the President and other top officials for last Thursday, but the Jamaican government had long wanted Dr. Jonathan at its National Day. He said considering the Federal Government’s commitment to Africans in Diaspora, that date, which was earlier secured before the Clinton trip, had to be honoured by the President.
He added that based on the effective working relationship between the U.S. government and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC, the new date for Clinton’s one-day visit has now been mutually agreed to.
In another development, some eminent Nigerians, including a former Minister for Information, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, have asserted that one-time Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, and erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo owed the country an explanation over the treaty of 1970-1975 ceding Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroun and the signing of the Green Tree Accord (GTA), which finally transferred the territory following the ruling of International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the dispute.
They spoke in Lagos yesterday at the 11th Brainstorming Session of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on “The 1861 Annexation of Lagos As A British Crown Colony: Matters Arising,” as the people of Bakassi Peninsula await the former ratification of the October 10, 2002 judgment by the global court.
It was argued by experts yesterday that the ratification of the judgment would seal any attempt by Nigeria to appeal the verdict.
Also on the occasion, participants unanimously faulted historical claims that the role played by the late Oba Dosumu of Lagos in the 1861 annexation of Lagos was against the interest of the city, saying that he was heroic in his dealings with Britain.
They also described the annexation as a commercial adventure, stressing that it was not driven by human interest as being claimed by Britain.
Those at the event, which attracted notable people from the academia, diplomatic corps, legislature and traditional institution among others, included former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Senator Olorumimbe Momora, Amb. George Obiozor, Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Mr. Sam Amuka, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, Amb. Robert Clark, Prof. Rafiu Akindle, Prof. Tekena Tamuno, Prof. Margaret Vogts, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, Amb. Dapo Fafowora, Prof. Alaba Ogunsowo, Prof. Akin Oyebode, Associate Professor Fred Agwu, Alex Ekeanyanwu of NIIA, Prof. Abolade Adeniji, Prof. Kunle Lawal and Prof. Bolanle Awe.
The speakers contended that despite the sad and negative imports of the treaty and other treaties, Nigeria and other African nations who went through similar experiences have failed to learn their lessons but still sign ill thought-out agreements.
However, Erelu Dosumu regretted that the late Oba’s (monarch’s) role in the annexation of Lagos had been wrongly placed on the wrong side of history.
According to her, “while it is tempting to want to join the argument on the different and sometimes distorted accounts on the role of Oba Dosumu in signing the treaty ceding Lagos to the United Kingdom, I simply would like to use this opportunity to welcome you to the celebrations, which started a year ago, where experts, historians, actors and actresses are putting the records straight through intellectual discusses, workshops and a host of other interesting activities.
“If there is any other massage I have today, it is the fact that the treaty of Lagos was about trade, it established a relationship between Her Majesty, Queen Victoria’s government and Lagos, which later expanded to Nigeria as a whole. The treaty of Lagos was about promotion of trade and investment and economic cooperation in general and not territorial takeovers, which my extensive research revealed.”
Detailing the expected highlights of Clinton’s visit, Adefuye said issues to be discussed would include Boko Haram, while Clinton also wanted to personally express satisfaction and gratitude over the success of the Nigeria-U.S. Bi-National Commission (BNC) accord she personally signed two years ago.
Indeed the success of the BNC between both countries led to signing a similar agreement between Nigeria and Canada that has their diplomatic relations.
During Clinton’s meeting with Jonathan and National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, Boko Haram is expected to come up. She would also hold talks with the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde. There are also plans for her to meet Chief Justice Alooma Mukthar.
Confirming that Republicans in the U.S. Congress are planning to force an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organisation) designation on Boko Haram, Adefuye said the Nigerian embassy was fighting hard to prevent such a move.
Bakassi had been the subject of violent disputes between the two neighbours for decades until they agreed to a United Nations (UN)-backed process to settle the matter.
The ICJ resolved the issue with a ruling in 2002. The verdict was followed by the 2006 GTA – signed under the auspices of former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, under which Nigeria recognised Camerounian sovereignty over the Peninsula, one part of the border.
However, on November 22, 2007, the Nigerian Senate rejected the transfer, since the GTA ceding the area to Cameroun was contrary to Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Regardless of the Upper House’s position, the territory was formally transferred to Cameroun on August 14, 2008.
The peninsula lies roughly between latitudes 4°25’ and 5°10’N and longitudes 8°20’ and 9°08’E. It consists of a number of low-lying, largely mangrove-covered islands covering an area of around 665 kilometres and it is also very rich in crude oil.
Ofonagoro contended that it was illegal for Gowon to have ceded it to Cameroun without due regards to the nation’s law, which says no one has the right to give out any part of Nigeria’s territory to any other country.
He also queried why other areas of former Cameroun that are parts of Nigeria today went through plebiscites and then decided to join the federation but Bakassi people were not availed the opportunity.
He added that Obasanjo, who publicly said the defunct Supreme Military Council agreed that it was wrong for Gowon to have ceded the territory to Cameroun, went ahead to formally sign off Bakassi without resorting to the National Assembly after the ICJ’s ruling.
“If Obasanjo had obeyed the law by taking it to the National Assembly, they would have called a public hearing on the matter and Bakassi would still be part of Nigeria, and there would have been no bloodshed. But it didn’t happen that way. The two heads of state and the president that caused the problem are Gowon and Obasanjo,” Ofonagoro said.
He also observed that despite the judgment of an Abuja High Court asking the Federal Government to support the self determination drive of a group of Bakassi people over their maltreatment by the Camerounian authority, successive administrations have refused to do anything on the people’s predicament.
While calling for more researches on the issue before the October 10 date, he contended that only the Bakassi people and non-governmental organisations can fight the cause, since the government has refused to do anything.
But Akinterinwa, the Director-General of NIIA, said the Federal Government was induced into error of judgment and that it could still be corrected before it was too late. As a group, the Bakassi Self-determination Front is now positioning to fight for the people’s right.
He noted that in the event of armed struggle, Nigeria, the UN and the international community may be drawn into the crisis.
In such a scenario, he said a plebiscite may be called, Nigeria and Cameroun may be told to jointly rule the territory or Bakassi Peninsula becomes a sovereign state.
But Vogt, UN Representative in Central African Republic, said that Nigeria also gained from the ICJ judgment as parts of Cameroun were also ceded to her.
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