Nigeria will abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) on the Bakassi Peninsula, President Muhammadu Buhari said on
Wednesday in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.
Speaking at an interactive session with Nigerians living in Cameroon
during his two-day working and friendly visit to the country,
President Buhari said his administration would ensure the faithful
implementation of the Green Tree Agreement, which regulates the ceding
of Bakassi to Cameroon.
“Since Nigeria allowed the case to go to court (ICJ), and we lost, we
have to abide by it, ” the President said in response to a question
from a Nigerian on the issue.
President Buhari, who is on his maiden visit to the country after his
inauguration on May 29, said his administration had yet to articulate
a foreign policy for Nigeria beyond what was captured in the All
Progressives Congress (APC) party’s manifesto.
“However we will make our embassies more efficient and improve our
relations with other countries,’’ he said.
The President urged Nigerians in Diaspora to be law abiding in their
host countries and told representatives of the over 4 million
Nigerians living in Cameroon to continue to live in peace and harmony
with Cameroonians.
On the plight of some 40,000 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, who were
forced to flee their homes because of Boko Haram terrorists, the
President said the Federal government would ensure their safe return
and rehabilitation in the shortest possible time.
“We also have about 1.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
in Nigeria and we have a programme of rehabilitation and reintegration
into the society for them, which involves providing shelter and
schools to the displaced persons.’’
Responding to a question on the voting rights for Nigerians in
Diaspora, the President promised that his administration would revisit
the issue, which would require legislation from the National Assembly.
Later in a prepared text read to the Nigerian community, the President
pledged to do everything possible toward bringing positive change to
Nigeria.
“Despite the numerous challenges confronting us, the future of our
country is bright.
“You all know very well that your fellow Nigerians are resilient,
hardworking and patriotic.
“These qualities have always seen us through our most difficult
national challenges and they will do so now.’’
On the fight against Boko Haram, the President assured Nigerians that
the current security challenges are not insurmountable.
He said Nigeria was working with all her neighbours, including
Cameroon, to fight and stand firmly against all forms of terror and
trans-border crimes.
He appealed for patience and vigilance from Nigerians to ensure that
youths are not lured into joining “misguided groups.’’
“We are determined to end this callousness against our innocent citizens.
“The defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the
protection of lives and properties of Nigerians and all those who live
in the country are out top priorities.
“We shall explore all reasonable options to enable us to bring this
rebellion to an end,” he vowed.
President Buhari will depart Cameroon for Abuja on Thursday after
addressing a joint press conference in Yaounde with his host,
President Paul Biya.
