6th October, 2012
The International Court of Justice, ICJ, ruled on 10 October 2002 that Bakassi belonged to Cameroon and must be transferred to Cameroon within 10 years.
With only days to the 10 October 2012 final transfer of sovereignty of the peninsula to Cameroon, Nigeria’s National Assembly has mounted pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to seek a review of the ICJ ruling on the basis of some new facts that it claimed have emerged.And President Jonathan has gleefully consented, and has ordered a challenge of the ruling.
Nigerian lawyers are divided over this decision, with some stating that Nigeria has embarked on a futile journey to reverse the ICJ ruling.
Barrister Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria believes the oil rich Peninsula can be retaken by Nigeria. But another senior advocate, Robert Clarke says the peninsula does not belong to Nigeria and there is no basis to call for a review of the international court ruling.
Only few days remain for Nigeria to challenge ICJ. As the clock ticks away, what is your view on this controversy?
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