By Kelvin Obambon
The Indigenous Displaced People of Bakassi Communities has come out to clarify the misconception and misrepresentation of their petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the plight of Bakassi.
Contrary to claims that the group had called for the delisting of Bakassi Local Government as one of the 774 councils in Nigeria, The Indigenous Displaced People of Bakassi Communities led by Chief Iyadim Amboni Iyadim, said that the local government area is a creation of the constitution and as such the group could not and would not even contemplate such move.
Iyadim, who spoke during a meeting in Calabar Friday, said “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.”
He affirmed that Bakassi has come to stay and that no individual or group can remove it from books without going through a rigorous constitutional process.
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“I know my left from right having gone through a lot of 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 Our 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 proofable 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.
“I have with me a copy of the letter we 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.”
To further buttress his position, Iyadim who is a former chairman of Bakassi local government area, read out the 7 prayers captured in the letter sent to the president.
“Mr. President Sir, for justices sake we plead that you use your good self and office to treat expeditiously our underlisted prayers.
PRAYERS
1. That the Federal Government through the National Assembly should pass a resolution to resettle the displaced people of Bakassi in the unceded parts of the pennisula DAYSPRING 1, 2, and KWA ISLAND. AS SHOWN IN CROSS RIVER STATE MAP ATTACHED.
2. The legal transfer and relocation of the administrative headquarters in Bakassi Local Government Area from Ikot Effiom to ABANA in Dayspring Island.
3. Immediate land reclamation and shoreline protection and other infrastructural development of Dayspring 1, 2 and Kwa Island to give the displaced people of Bakassi Local Government Area their identity and sense of belonging.
4. Provision of adequate security in DAYSPRING 1, 2 and Kwa Islands to protect the lives and properties of the displaced people of Bakassi.
5. As ruled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the application of Local Government Area autonomy fund. Bakassi Local Government Area allocation should be used to further develop constituted Bakassi State Constituency in DAYSPRING 1, 2 and KWA ISLAND.
6. That, since INEC won in the Supreme court on suit file by the people of Ikang dated 23rd February 2018 setting aside the “Cross River State House of Assembly LAW No. 7 of 2007” the law should be Repealed by Cross River State House of Assembly for want of contempt.
7. The president should please direct RMAFC and Ministry of Finance to withhold and keep Federal Allocation meant for Bakassi Local Government in an ESCROW account to stop further fraud and misappropriation of funds.”
