ICJ Judgement: Reps ask National Boundaries Commission, NBC to halt demarcation of affected communities between Nigeria and Cameroun.

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

An Ad-hoc Community of the House of Representatives on the International Boundaries Dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun on Tuesday asked the National Boundaries Commission NBC to immediately stop all demarcation of the affected communities in the dispute between the two nations leading to the ceding of the Bakassi-Peninsula to the Cameroun by the International Court of Justice Haque.

This is as the affected Nigerian communities have decried persistent harassment by Cameroonian security forces in the disputed territories and called on the House to intervene by prevailing on the nations security agents to provide the communities adequate protection of lives and properties.

The Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee Hon.Beni Lar gave the ruling at an investigate and interactive meeting of the Committee of the House with relevant stakeholders including the National Boundaries Commission, Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Air Force, the Department of State Services, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The Committee said that the process of demarcation of the affected areas of the disputed territories in the ICJ ruling on October 10, 222 by the National. Boundaries Commission does not meet international standards as the communities were not properly sensitized and consulted by the demarcation authorities.

The House panel also called on the security agencies to provide the natives of the affected communities of Boki in Cross Rivers State and Michika in Adamawa State with adequate security from internal and external aggression form the nations waterways.

At the hearing, the Director-General of the National Boundaries Commission NBC Mr Adamau Adaji said that the agency is only coordinating the decision of the ICJ ruling on the disputed territories which was approved by the highest decision making authorities in both Nigeria, Cameroun and the international community.

He said that the ICJ ruling is binding on both countries adding that both the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obadanjo, Paul Biya of Cameroun and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan approved the feeding and demarcation of the boundaries of the affected communities.

He added that the two nations had set up the Nigeria-Cameroun Joint Commission to fine tune other areas of disagreement on the disputed territory adding that the 34th session of the commission had recommended that the disputed areas be taken to the ICJ for resolution.

Nonetheless some members of the Committee as Hon.Laori Kwamoti from.Adamawa Stste and Hon.Dagomie Abiante insisted that the ruling of the ICJ on the disputed territories ought to have been appealed by the Nigerian government.

They also described the process of the demarcation of the affected communities by the National Boundaries Commission NBC as very hasty and lacking in proper sensitization of the affected communities.

The House panel also grilled the security agencies on their roles in providing security of lives and properties in the communities affected by the ruling of the ICJ and called on them to be more focused in the discharge of their duties.