Rt. Hon. Chief Iyadim Amboni Debunked the News about Bakassi to be delisted as Local Government in Cross River State
In a meeting, Rt. Hon. Iyadim among others gave certified reasons and why Bakassi can’t be delisted as one of the local government in Cross River State.
He started by saying “It gives me great joy to address and also use this opportunity to put record straight in our overall interest and for the sake of posterity. My attention was drawn to a letter written by a group known as Bakassi Peninsula Aborigines Communities dated the 1st of February, 2025 and addressed to Mr President purporting to be a rejoinder to a petition by our group calling for the delisting of Bakassi Local Government as one of the 774 council in Nigeria constitutionally recognize by law. Naturally, it is in my best interest and that of the group I represent to debunk and then challenge anybody living or dead to produce such document written by me or the group I represent and signed by us to the press as proof calling on the Federal Government to delist Bakassi from the 774 Councils in Nigeria.
Bakassi has come to stay and no individual or group can remove it from books without going through a rigorous constitutional process. I know my left from right having gone through a lot processes, I can make bold to say that I am a thorough bred. I know we are in the end times and people can rise and raise an accusation on somebody without fear of God or consequences. A group of charlatans and political greenhorns who do not have any sense of history about Bakassi nor have in their lifetime been part of Bakassi struggle from the Creation, to Ceding, to the Resettlement after 17 years of ICJ Judgement. However, I am happy for few of their positions and that our group which are not different especially as it concerns the Coastal reclamation of Dayspring 1,2 and Qua Island which remains the unceded part of the old peninsula in order to restore our dignity and give us that political and traditional identity.
Let us put here and now that we are not in anyway antagonizing the administration of Hon. Effiong Okon as Chairman of Bakassi Local Government as widely speculated nor that of His Excellency the Governor of Cross River State Apostle Prince Bassey Edet Otu by our detractors but merely deploying constitutionally recognized approach to drive home the point of Proper Resettlement of Displaced People of Bakassi as promised by the Federal government 17 years ago, hence a Save A Soul letter to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. A burden to resettle the displaced people of Bakassi is too much for the State to shoulder at this time. It is also proof able, that we are all registered members of the ruling APC and had worked tirelessly to elect His Excellency as well other standard bearers of the Party in the last general election, as men and women of conscience, we cannot for whatever reason or gain destroy that which we invested time, energy and resources to build.
Hon. Iyadim states clearly that he has with him a copy of the letter that his group sent to Mr President on the 6th of February, 2025 through the office of our counsel Obol Okoi Obono Obla. It was endorsed by my humble self and twenty-eight others to you to vet and show where “delisting” was written either as heading or in the body of the letter. If this is not found or any other proof beyond reasonable doubt, the gentleman of the esteemed profession should henceforth scrutinize any information brought to it by any sinister group(s) who do not have any idea of their own but doing the bidding of their slave masters for little political games before making any publication.
Let me also tender other documents to enable you see the faces of injustice, flagrant abuse and disrespect to our collective conscience as a people created by God. They are:
The Law no 7 of 2007. The Almighty law no 7 of 2007 was made by the Cross River State house of Assembly to adjust the boundaries of Akpabuyo and accommodate the Displaced people of Bakassi in the three wards of Ikang North, Ikang South and Ikang Central as New Bakassi. It is true that law had long outlived its usefulness and we have drawn the attention of government agencies or authorities severally on the ambiguities of this law with a view to amending it according but every of our effort will always fall on deaf ear.
Hence our cries during every local government election in the three wards of Ikang.
The Bakassi peninsula was ceded and the Displaced people of Bakassi relocated to the three wards of Ikang with our 10 political ward structure as well as our clans and villages 100% but till now, nothing has been established on ground but only exist in the air 17 years after ceding our God’s given territory to the Republic of Cameroon.
The M.o.U
As a way of fostering greater understand for peace and development, an MoU was entered into by the two blocs of Mainland and Riverine, but shortly after few years of smooth experiment, our brothers went to Court to challenge its legality and set it aside thereby bridging the MoU that bonded us together. HCA/3/2013
See Annexure “D” and “E”
Another group came together still from the Mainland bloc and sued INEC on why it refused to recognized and caused the votes in Ikang to be counted for Bakassi in the newly created wards of Law no 7 of 2007 as authentic wards of Bakassi Local Government. This case went as far to Supreme Court for final verdict, SC/311/2014.
We have endured in the last 17 years and still pressing with our last breathe to the Federal Government to properly Resettle the Indigenous Population of Displaced Bakassi as we have seen massive developments in the North East that was destroyed by Boko Haram as well as other regions in Nigeria.
Therefore, we can succinctly put forward to the entire world that we have not been given fair treatment as a people, when our God’s given land was ceded to the Republic of Cameroon without our consent well over 17 years after several Technical and Implementation Committees were set up to handle our peculiar problem.
It is true that the ICJ in 2002 Ceded Bakassi to the Republic of Cameroon.
It is true that the Federal Government, during Obasanjo Era promised to execute a painless relocation, Resettlement and Compensation in perpetuity for losing our territory.
It is true that the three political wards if Ikang North, Ikang South and Ikang Central are still valid political wards of Akpabuyo Local Government. Attached are the political wards of Akpabuyo as Annexure “P”
It is true that INEC has conducted General election at Dayspring 1,2 and Qua Island since 2011.
It is true that 17 years after Relocation we have not settled in any soil in Ikang rather we are carrying our wards, villages and Clans on our heads.
It is true that Other State towns and villages from Chad Basin, Borno and Adamawa States were all Resettled by the Presidential Committee on the Resettlement of all those that were affected by the ICJ in 2002 except Bakassi Local Government which leaves much to be desired.
It is true that Bakassi remains the Pride of Cross River State with our naturally endowed Ecosystem.
In conclusion therefore, we hereby call on the Federal Government and Mr President, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. who promised us during his town hall meeting with stakeholders in Cross River State, during the campaigns that he will look into the Bakassi crisis.
Thank you for your time
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Long live Cross River State!!
Long live Bakassi Local Government!!!
