The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cameroon

  • Eagles play passionately- Pinnick

    Eagles play passionately- Pinnick

    Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has charged the Super Eagles to approach the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against the Lions of Cameroon in Uyo with a never-say-die mentality.

    The match comes up on Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

    Pinnick, in a statement released by Demola Olajire, Head of Communication, NFF, on Thursday, urged the team to commit heart, soul and spirit to the match.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles are topping Group B with six points, from two matches.

    Nigeria is four points ahead of second-placed Cameroon, who have also played two matches.

    Pinnick said: “The much-respected Nigerian spirit that conquers so many adversities will see the three-time African champions through.

    “ But the Eagles must approach the game with a never-say-die mentality at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

    “This is a very crucial match and the players know so.

    “The Cameroonians are not coming here to simply appraise the serenity and beauty of the city of Uyo; they are coming to contest the three points.

    “The Super Eagles must throw everything – their body, heart and spirit – into the game.

    “Those three points are very important to our FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, and I am confident we will get them,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has announced former junior international Ikechukwu Ezenwa and two other former junior international goalkeepers, Dele Ajiboye and Dele Alampasu, as part of the team.

    Mikel John Obi, Victor Moses, Oghenekaro Etebo and John Ogu, Odion Ighalo, Anthony Nwakaeme and Aaron Samuel are in Uyo ready for the match.

    Germany-based Leon Balogun, who missed the clash with South Africa is back and is likely to pair Olympic bronze medallist, William Ekong, in central defence.

    Another Olympic bronze medallist, Abdullahi Shehu, as well as Elderson Echiejile, Tyronne Ebuehi, Uche Agbo and Chidozie Awaziem also available to fortify the defence.

    England-based Wilfred Ndidi and Turkey-based duo of Ogenyi Onazi and Mikel Agu are also available in the midfield, while Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho, are attackers in the team.

    Olajire said that Friday’s match would kick off at 5p.m.

    The return leg is scheduled to hold on Sept. 4, at Stade Omnisports Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde, Cameroun.

  • Dalung promises to deliver 2018 World Cup ticket

    Dalung promises to deliver 2018 World Cup ticket

    Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, says the Super Eagles will deliver the 2018 World Cup ticket to Nigerians.

    Dalung told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that the team was well prepared for the world cup qualifier against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon coming up on Friday in Uyo.

    “We have prepared very well and the team is in high spirit, ready to do their best.

    “We want to assure Nigerians that we will definitely make good our promise of delivering the ticket for the 2018 World Cup in Russia,” said the minister.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles will aim to achieve a 12 time triumph over the Lions of Cameroon when both teams meet at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

    Nigeria has won 11 of the 19 previous encounters with Cameroon and secured four draws, while Cameroon had beaten the Eagles only four times.

    The two teams last clashed at the Edmond Machtens Stadium in Brussels in October 2015 when the Eagles won by 3-0 through goals by Efe Ambrose, Moses Simon, and Odion Ighalo.

  • Cameroon clash: Ebonyi fans give praises, knocks to Super Eagles list

    Cameroon clash: Ebonyi fans give praises, knocks to Super Eagles list

    Some soccer fans in Ebonyi have expressed mixed feelings over the calibre of players invited by Super Eagles Coach Gernot Rohr for the World Cup qualifier against Cameroon.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rohr invited 23 players to camp for the encounter billed for Uyo on Sept. 1 and Yaounde on Sept.4.

    The list consists of 22 foreign based players and one home-based player. He also placed on standby seven players made of four foreign-based and three home-based players.

    The fans told NAN that retaining the entire team that fell to South Africa in an AFCON 2019 qualifier in June was suicidal while others reasoned otherwise.

    Bright Ibe, former Chairman of the Nigerian Referees Association (NRA), Ebonyi Chapter, said that Rohr would have invited players with requisite experience for the clash considering Cameroon’s pedigree.

    “Players such as Godfrey Obaobona, Efe Ambrose, Nnamdi Oduamadi, among others, should have been invited to avoid the lethargic performance of the youngsters paraded against South Africa.

    “Cameroon as African champions are buoyed by its FIFA Confederation Cup escapade and can only be dismantled by an experienced side,” he said.

    Benson Imagwe, defunct Ebonyi Angels Goalkeeper, faulted the retention of Daniel Akpeyi in the team after a poor display against South Africa.

    “Fans are still nursing the pains caused them by Akpeyi’s performance against South Africa. His matter is worsened by his loss of first-team place in his South African club, Chippa United.

    “Rohr should have invited the CHAN team and Plateau United goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye for the clash,” he said.

    Princewill Udoh, a lecturer, also faulted the retention of some players, especially in the defence.

    He said that the defence might be an “easy pie” for the rampaging Cameroonian strikers.

    “Chidozie Awaziem and Elderson Echiejile outing against South Africa was poor and the matter is worsened by the absence of another natural left-full back to cover Echiejile.

    “Rohr is only left with the option of fielding untested players such as Mikel, Agu, Ola Aina, among others; the situation is dicey,” he said.

    Chief Sebastine Elem, a retired public servant, however, said that the coach was right to select the players because the time was too short for changes in the team.

    “The Eagles would have less than one week to train before the match and it will be difficult for Rohr to field players that are new to him.

    “He wants to give the players an opportunity to correct the South African poor showing but we would have wished for a lesser opposition than Cameroon,” he said.

    Judith Odoh, a female musician and soccer enthusiast, noted that the return of players such as Victor Moses, Odion Ighalo, Mikel Obi, among others, would definitely strengthen the team.

    “Soccer fans should support the team because the team even if deficient cannot be changed overnight,” she said.

  • NEMA evacuates 121 displaced persons from Cameroon

    NEMA evacuates 121 displaced persons from Cameroon

    The National Management Emergency Agency (NEMA) on Sunday said it had evacuated 121 displaced Nigerians from Cameroon.

    The Information Officer, NEMA North-East, Abdulkadir Ibrahim said in a statement that the displaced persons were evacuated to Maiduguri.

    Ibrahim said that the displaced persons fled their homes in the wake of Boko Haram attack in Ngala local government area of the state.

    “About 121 displaced persons of Ngala Local Government Area returned from Cameroon through Mubi in Adamawa State.

    “The returnees were transported back to Maiduguri accompanied by officials of NEMA and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA),” he said.

    Ibrahim added that the displaced persons were camped at an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camp in Gubio.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that over 46, 000 persons had returned to Nigeria from Cameroun in the past months.

    The displaced persons were currently taking shelter at various IDP camps at Banki and Maiduguri.

  • FG evacuates 170 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

    FG evacuates 170 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has evacuated another batch of 170 Nigerian repatriated refugees mostly Women and Children from Cameroon.

    The Director-General of the Agency, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, disclosed this at Mubi International Transit Camp, Adamawa, on Sunday.

    Maihaja, who was represented by Idris Garga, NEMA Coordinator in charge of Adamawa and Taraba, said that the evacuation exercise was the second in three months.

    “Today, we are evacuating another batch of 170 Nigerian repatriated Refugees from Cameroon Republic ,the first evacuation was conducted in May 2017 and involved about 300 Nigerians.

    “The refugees were intercepted along Nigeria-Cameroon boarder by teams of Nigeria security operatives and after thorough investigation and screening they were confirmed to be Nigerians.

    “The refugees are indigenes of Gomboru- Ngala in Borno who escaped Boko Haram attacks and ran to Cameroon for safety in 2013,” he said.

    Terry Igue, the Yola office Head of Search and Rescue of the agency, said the refugees had undergone several medical check-ups at Mubi camp and had been “well taken care before their evacuation to their local government and state of origin to meet their relatives”.

  • Jairo Pachon ‘Cameroon not Nigeria under pressure in race to Russia 2018’

    Jairo Pachon ‘Cameroon not Nigeria under pressure in race to Russia 2018’

    The Super Eagles would inch closer to Russia  2018 FIFA World Cup should they maintain their winning streak in their Group B qualifying phase in the upcoming home match against African champions, Cameroon, in Uyo on September 1.

    Under the watch of Franco-German coach Gernot Rohr,the Super Eagles galloped off to a flying start with a 2-1 away victory over Zambia in Ndola on Match Day 1 and subsequently hammered Algeria 3-1 in Uyo  to top the section with the maximum six points as against  two-point Algeria; one-point Cameroon and zero-point Zambia after two round of matches.

    It is against this backdrop that Jairo Pachon, FIFA licensed match and players’ agent and one of the brains behind Eurodata Marketing Sportivo E Culturale (simply known as Eurodata Sports) believes the Super Eagles would have a head start in the next round of matches in September.

    “Yes, I agree with you that the most important games for the Super Eagles this year is the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in September,” stated the Colombian who has been involved with Nigerian football set-up for almost a decade now.” But I think it is Cameroon that is under pressure; because the Super Eagles are currently on top of the group after winning their first two matches whereas Cameroon has only just one point.”

    Jairo is eminently qualified to speak about Nigerian football for obvious reasons. Apart from being   the arrow head of Eurodata Sports who are the official match agents to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) since 2011, Jairo is the son of Efrain Pachon, former Vice-President of the Colombian Football Federation under whose tenure the country’s football attained its golden period of the 1990s. The senior Pachon, who is the current chairman of Eurodata Sports, was also the former President of Santa Fe of Colombia between 1985 and 1990 as well as President of Cucuta Deportivo between 1995 and 2004. He also presided over Colombian Football team to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

    Coincidentally, when Jairo spoke exclusively with The Nation Sport & Style last week, the frenzy was all about Barcelona and the biggest transfer in world’s football following the departure of gifted Brazilian striker, Neymar, from the Camp Nou to Paris Saint Germain (PSG). But he reckoned there is nothing to be ashamed of regarding relatively low interest on Nigerian players during the ‘buying and selling’ season.

    “I don’t agree with the opinion that Nigerian players were not active during the summer transfers because it was not really a very busy transfer period generally as we have seen in the past whereby hundreds of players move from one club to the other,” reasoned the 41-year-old who is a passionate fan of English Premier League side, Arsenal.

    He continued: “So, it is not only about Nigerian players but, generally, the transfer season was not as exciting as what we used to have in the past. What applied to Nigeria was applicable to players all over Africa and even in my own country Colombia.

    “Apart from the big money move of Neymar from Barcelona to PSG, we don’t really have much to talk about transfers and we don’t have to blame our players for this. There are so many factors involved in movement of players and there should be little concern over that. Rather, we should be concerned about their status with their present clubs.

    “In the case of Neymar, one of the reasons he left Camp Nou has to do with the fact that he was playing under the shadow of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona. Apart from the mega-money involved, he must have probably felt he would enjoy more playing time at PSG where he could be the main star of the team.

    “I don’t think Nigerians should feel bad that there was little interest about Nigerian players, and in any case, we can still draw some positives since some of the players are well regarded in their present clubs.  Victor Moses had a fantastic season with Chelsea last time and he’s retained, which is very good and I think he would have a great impact again this season; hopefully for both Chelsea and Super Eagles. Ogenyi Onazi is enjoying himself in Turkey at Trabzonspor and I don’t think there is any point for him to move now.

    “We understand the scenario that led to the departure of Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City to Leicester. He is still a very young player and going to Leicester is good for him because he will enjoy better playing time.  Frankly, I see so much positives in Kelechi’s move to Leicester because it will help his development, and it will have a big impact for the national team,” he stressed as he shed light on sundry issues with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN. Excerpts…

     

    Nigeria versus Cameroon in 2018 World Cup qualifier

    Yes, I agree with you that the most important games for the Super Eagles this year is the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifier against Cameroon in September. But I think it is Cameroon that is under pressure because the Super Eagles are currently on top of the group after winning their first two matches, whereas Cameroon has only just one point. Again, the fact that the first leg is holding in Nigeria in Uyo gives the Super Eagles the opportunity to consolidate on their position before going to Yaounde. If the Super Eagles win at home, it is going to improve their confidence going for the return match. I want to believe the Super Eagles are better motivated to qualify for the World Cup in Russia because they have missed a couple of tournaments recently. I saw Cameroon closely before they went to the Confederations Cup because I organised their friendly match against Colombia. Of course, Cameroon are the current African champions but I didn’t see a team that is going to walkover the Super Eagles. And the good thing is that the Super Eagles started the World Cup campaign very well and this should be a basis of concern for Cameroon.  The Super Eagles are young and they are happy under the current technical adviser, which is very important at this level. Every match is different, but with hard work on the part of everybody, the Super Eagles can get good results off Cameroon over the two legs in Uyo and Yaounde.  Yes, there are worries over the goalkeeping department after the unfortunate news about Carl Ikeme, but it’s my opinion that Nigeria still has good goalkeepers to count on. How I wish someone like Vincent Enyeama would reconsider his stand and return to the Super Eagles because he has vast experience.  Otherwise, there is little to worry about other department since the players are without injuries and that means they would be able to play at their best level. And it’s good the European season would already be in the stream by the time the matches come up. It’s really going to be interesting encounters and I’m really looking forward to September.  By then, the Super Eagles will, hopefully, be firmly on course to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    Super Eagles and China connection

    I don’t see why playing in the Chinese Super League can be a big problem for the Super Eagles. Mikel, Ighalo and others are very experienced and they will also be good additions to the team. I don’t think the standard of the Chinese league is very poor as some people often say. We have not been able to judge because we don’t see its matches like the European leagues that are readily available on television. There is a Colombian player, Giovanni Moreno, in China and he actually captains Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. At some point, he was no longer called to play for the national team until he went to China to re-establish himself and he was recently called for the international friendlies against Spain and Cameroon. Of course, he showed his quality and I’m making this reference so that Nigerians don’t dismiss their good players because they are playing in China.  Players should be taken on merit and I feel the Chinese Super League is competitive enough, but, unfortunately, we don’t see much of it on television because there is no broadcast right in Europe, which might not help the coach to make decision. It is, however, interesting that few Nigerian players are doing well over there.  Though we have not heard much about Mikel because of his injury, Ighalo has been scoring regularly and these are professional players and they can always help the national team because of their vast experience playing at the top level. One of the advantages of the Nigerian national team is that there are so many talents, but frankly, I don’t think having players from the Chinese league is going to be a problem for the Super Eagles.

    Thumps up for Gernot Rohr

    It is true that I have worked with several coaches with the Super Eagles, but I would say I’ve been very lucky with all of them. I only had a one-game with the German coach (Lars Lagerback), and then the late Shaibu Amodu and then Samson Siasia; the late Stephen Keshi; Sunday Oliseh and Salisu Yusuf. This takes us to the present coach, Gernot Rohr, and we only met during the Super Eagles friendly matches here in Europe. But he has made a huge impression on me. He has created so much solidarity within the team in a short time and you know the impact a coach is making if the players are happy or not. He started so well, especially with World Cup qualifiers against Zambia and Algeria; and I don’t think losing the last match against South Africa in Africa Nations Cup makes him a bad coach. I think the loss to South Africa would be a wakeup call to him and the entire team going into the next round of matches for the World Cup and Nations Cup. I believe the goal of everybody is to see  that Nigeria qualify for the World Cup in Russia and we just have to forget about the loss to South Africa and focus on the upcoming matches against Cameroon in September. Generally, Rohr has been impressive in the way he has managed the team so far and I think the players and other officials are equally impressed based on my interactions with them. The coach is happy with the players and the players are happy with the coach; and that this is the kind of ambience that would produce good results. This is my humble opinion on Gernot Rohr.

    Good and bad times of Nigerian football

    I also know the circumstances that led to Nigeria not qualifying for both the Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup at both the U-17 and U-20 levels, which is quite unfortunate since the junior levels are the buffer zone for coaches at the senior level to pick players especially from a team in transition such as the Super Eagles. The Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA World Cup at both the U-17 and U-20 would have been good avenues to see what the younger generation can do but by and large, I think the future of Nigerian football is still very bright. This year, we have also seen how powerful Nigeria can be on the African political football map with the election of NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, into  the executive committee of CAF as well as being given important positions in the set-up. This is a plus for Nigerian football and I pray it also translates to greater success for the national teams, because non-qualification of both the U-17 and U-20 for recent tournaments in Africa is still something that baffles everyone associated with Nigerian football.

    Eurodata Sports on the march again

    Our company, Eurodata Sports, has constantly been working to enhance the status of Nigerian football at every point in time, and besides official international matches for the Super Eagles, we ensure that the team plays quality friendly matches once we have match free days in the international calendar. The same is applicable to the other levels of the national teams and we ensure that we get them good tournament, which serves as good preparations before going on important assignments. We were involved with the preparations of the U-17 and the U-23 teams when they won the World Cup in Chile and the Bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games respectively, with the invitational tournaments in Suwon. We have started making plans and once the World Cup qualifiers are over, the Super Eagles will be engaged with quality friendly matches in preparation for future assignments. Once the Super Eagles qualify for Russia 2018 World Cup and the draw is made in December, we will unfold our plans for the team so that they can have good preparation and play some top quality friendly matches.

    As for other junior teams as well as the women teams, there are all kinds of programmes we are looking at and it must fit into their calendar too. As we have done in the last eight years, we have adequate plans for the other teams too just as we had for the U-17 during their training camp in Argentina where they adapted and prepared well before they won the World Cup in 2015.  So, we are looking at the best opportunities that would suit the teams as they prepare for the future.

    The Neymar’s circus

    Although Neymar is a great player, I don’t think going from Barcelona to PSG was all about football. It would have been important for him to have a teammate like Messi. And it would have been important for him to play in a bigger brand that is Barcelona, but his movement to PSG confounds clear reasoning. Beyond that, it is all about money. So, it’s good business as far as the transfer fee is concerned as well as what he stands to gain financially.  But I differ strongly as far as the football aspect is concerned. The Spanish La Liga is by far, far above the French Ligue 1 and I would have been excited if Neymar is an older player going to PSG. He would have been a far greater player if he had remained with Barcelona. Frankly, I don’t know his motivation of going to PSG other than the money.

  • UN commends Cameroon’s generosity to Nigerian refugees

    UN commends Cameroon’s generosity to Nigerian refugees

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, has commended Cameroon for its generosity towards the Nigerian refugees who fled to the country to escape the destructive activities of Boko Haram terrorists.

    Mohammed gave the commendation during a meeting with Cameroon’s delegation led by Prof. Paul Ghogomu, Director of Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon, a readout from the meeting, stated.

    “The Deputy Secretary-General commended Cameroon for its generosity towards refugees from Central African Republic and Nigeria.

    “She conveyed that the United Nations looks forward to working with Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad to reintegrate those affected, especially women, youth and children.

    Mohammed and Ghogomu also discussed the situation in the Bakassi Peninsula and the fight against Boko Haram as well as the 2030 Agenda and the UN development system reform.

    They similarly discussed the internal situation in the Republic of Cameroon, particularly in the Anglophone regions.

    The UN deputy scribe welcomed the efforts being undertaken by the Cameroonian government to de-escalate tensions and highlighted the importance of further confidence building measures.

    These measures include ensuring that justice is given to all and that human rights are upheld and respected, and noting that those responsible for rule of law are to be held to a higher standard.

    Mohammed also reiterated the willingness of the UN to assist, through the good offices of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, Mr François Fall, and the UN country team.

    According to the deputy Secretary-General, the UN will support include efforts to address the outstanding root causes of the tensions in the affected regions.

  • Nigeria, Cameroon discuss Bakassi, Boko Haram

    Nigeria, Cameroon discuss Bakassi, Boko Haram

    …As Cameroonian officials denies Bakassi mascara report

     

    The issue of Bakassi and Boko Haram dominated discussions Thursday when Nigerian government and their Cameroonian authorities met.

    Cameroonian President Paul Biya dispatched a three man delegation to the country to discuss issues of mutual benefits to both countries.

    Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the delegation that was received by Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

    At a joint briefing at the end of their closed door meeting which lasted about 45 minutes, the visiting Minister denied the recent report of massacre of Nigerians by Cameroonian gendarmes.

    He said there was no iota of truth in the report; saying that Cameroon is a law abiding country and no such thing would ever happen.

    He said: “I was sent here by President Paul Biya to come and meet with the foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria to discuss a number of subjects that are mutually beneficiary to both countries.”

    On the reported killing of over 97 Nigerians, the minister said, “We also came to inform the government of Nigeria that a month ago, we had reports in the media concerning massacre of people in the Bakassi area. We sent our administrators and we even asked Nigerians Counsel in Bua to accompany them. They went there and they realize that not a single person was touched, nobody was injured, nobody was killed and it was a fabrication which appeared in the media, which we don’t know why and for what purpose. But we came to reassure the government and Nigerian people that Cameron is a law abiding country and no such thing would ever happen under our watch.”

    On Boko Haram, he said both countries have been working perfectly in trying to clip the terrorists group.

    According to him: “We came to discuss the situation that afflict North Western part of Cameroon and North-Eastern part of Nigeria concerning the fight against Boko Haram.  It really to say that the two countries have been working perfectly in trying to make sure that this evil group is completely alienated.”

    He also denied the report that his country maltreated Nigerian refugees; saying that they have protested to UN human right commission.

    “You know been a refugee is a very difficult condition. We in Cameroon are very sensitive to the issue. If you visit our own camp where we have about 60,000 refugees, you will see for yourself that they are being given the most humane treatment that we in Cameroon can give and can afford along with the UNHCR.

    “We were a bit surprise by that report and we take exception to it. We drew the attention of the UNHCR that in Cameroon we have been abiding by the law and have been doing everything we can because these refugees unfortunately, are the same people whether they are in Cameroon or in Nigeria. It is the same families that across both borders. It is even difficult to distinguish one from the other because they are the same people and we have been doing our best to give them the best possible treatment and we know that our brothers and sisters of Nigeria agreed within us that we have been doing our maximum in order to make sure that refugees who are already under a very difficult circumstances do not get any worst treatment from anybody.”

    Ngute also briefed Nigeria on other issues of interest, especially in the English speaking part of Cameroon, including resolving the strike action.

    “The first of the issues is to inform Nigerian authority that for some time we had so e issues with the English speaking region of Cameroon and to tell the minister and the good people of Nigeria that those problems have been resolved. The trade union that went on strike is back to work. The situation has been normalized and to thank our brothers and sisters of Nigeria for the understanding they have showed throughout this episode.  We have obviously numbers of radicals who don’t want to see things from the way most people see them,” he said.

    He also said he was very pleased with the responses he got from his Nigerian counterpart; adding that “It shows that the two countries are working in and the cooperation between us is very good.”

    Onyeama on his part denied any distrust between countries, saying “on the contrary both countries are extremely close, working together very closely and I think sending this delegation by the president himself, shows the importance he attaches to that relationship.

    “And we are also keen that this should trickle down to average Nigerian and Cameroonian. And I think by and large it does. But we also have to be careful of social media where you can have a very small minority of people generating a narrative that is not in any way reflective of the reality.”

    He was also quick to recall the recent cooperation between both countries in the fight to reclaim territories under Boko Haram in the North East.

    “You will recall that Cameroon is fighting shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers against Boko Haram. And in fact their intervention in that fight was very important and decisive,” he said.

  • Senate directs Foreign Affairs Minister to submit Green Tree Agreement for ratification

    Senate directs Foreign Affairs Minister to submit Green Tree Agreement for ratification

    The Senate on Thursday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately submit the Green Tree Agreement entered into between the Federal Republic of  Nigeria and the Cameroonian Republic on June 12, 2006 for ratification.

    The Senate also called on the executive arm of government to come up with a clear policy on the protection of indigenes in the Diaspora, including Cameroon.

    The Upper Chamber further called on the Cameroonian Government to respect the provisions of the agreement entered into with Nigeria on the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula.

    This followed a six-point motion by Sen. Rose Oko (PDP-Cross River) and co-sponsored by five other lawmakers.

    The senate also vowed to investigate recent harassment of Bakassi indigenes in Cameroon, which led to the death  and return of some Nigerians living in Cameroon.

    While condemning activities of the Cameroonian gendarmes against Nigerians in the Bakassi Peninsula, the senate further called on the National Emergency Management Agency to immediately send relief to returnees.

    Presenting the motion, Sen. Oko, said the Bakassi indigenes of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States had resided in the geographic area known as the Bakassi Peninsula for generations.

    She added that following agreements and treaties from 1885 between Britain, Germany and France over the boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon and actions between the two governments on the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula became contentious.

    According to her, Cameroon on March 29, 1994, took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on Oct. 10, 2002, the court ruled in favour of Cameroon.

    She stressed that following the judgment, the two countries signed the Green Tree Agreement with several provisions that would not affect Nigeria negatively.

    “The Green Tree Agreement provided that Cameroon would not force Nigerian citizens living in Bakassi Peninsula to leave the zone or change their nationality.

    “It also provided that Cameroon would respect the culture, language and beliefs of the Nigerian citizens as well as respect their rights to continue their agricultural and fishing activities.

    “The agreement  further provided that Cameroon would protect their properties and customary rights and desist from levying  in any discriminatory manner, any taxes and other dues on the nationals living in the zone.

    “Cameroon was also by the agreement asked to take necessary measures to protect the nationals living in the zone from harassment or harm,’’ she said.

    Oko lamented that in spite of the agreement, Nigerian citizens were being traumatised and treated as foreigners in their natural habitat.

    She further lamented that those that returned to Nigeria after the ICJ ruling were equally not properly settled, thereby living in makeshift accommodation for years.

    The lawmaker noted that recent reports had it that 97 Nigerians were feared dead following attack by Cameroonian gendarmes over failure to pay a discriminatory boat levy of N100,000.

    She said, “even if preliminary investigations have revealed as is reported in the media, that they were not killed but died in the sea, the fact remains that they were obviously fleeing from their host country in distress.

    “It is saddening that these things are happening despite the huge resources and benevolence of Nigeria to our African bothers.

    The lawmaker called on the need for the Nigerian Government to come up with a definite policy to protect its citizens in diaspora, particularly in Africa to stop growing attacks, killings and harassment.

    Supporting the motion, the Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said the Nigerian Government must do everything possible to protect Nigerians living in Cameroon.

    He said in spite of the agreement entered into, Nigerians living in Cameroon were being subjected to several forms of torture.

    He also said that the Cameroonian gendarmes and other criminals had taken over the Bakassi Peninsula, where Nigerians lived, leading to serious security threat.

    He lamented that the Nigerian nationals in the area were being harassed in their natural habitat as a result of Nigeria’s ceding the area to Cameroon for the sake of peace.

    “We now have the Bakassi freedom fighters in the Bakassi Peninsula that are involved in all forms of criminal activities.

    “The area is now a den for criminals and nobody is allowed to fish unless they pay 100.

    “If you are not able to pay they throw you into the sea and as a result many of our people have died and many enslaved in their own land.

    “It is therefore important that we the representative of the people cry out.

    “Also, the Federal Government should do everything possible to compel the Cameroonian authorities to respect the agreement that we entered into.

    “The primary purpose of government as enshrined in Section 14(2b) is the protection of lives and property, so we have the obligation to protect our people.

    “We have realised that insurgents and militants are moving to the area,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker said Calabar that was known for peace was no longer peaceful as a result of the development.

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, put the prayers of the motion to voice vote and they were unanimously adopted.

  • UN Security Council urges support for Joint Task Force

    UN Security Council urges support for Joint Task Force

    The UN Security Council has welcomed recent efforts by the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to combat Boko Haram and called for support by UN member states for the team.

    The Security Council President for the month of July, Liu Jieyi, in a  statement, expressed the body’s concern over the threat of terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin.

    Liu  condemned all terrorist attacks in the West African sub-region, especially in Northern and Central Mali and the Lake Chad Basin by Islamic State in Iraq and Boko Haram respectively.

    He expressed concern over attacks on civilians, the primary victims of terrorist violence and urged a holistic approach to degrade and defeat the terrorists in compliance with international law.

    “The Security Council encourages member states and multilateral partners to lend their support to the MNJTF to ensure its full operationalisation.

    “This includes the provision of modalities to increase the timely and effective exchange of intelligence to further the region’s collective efforts to combat Boko Haram, whenever possible and appropriate,” Liu said.

    He expressed the commitment of the Council to work through the UN Office in West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) to strengthen cooperation in addressing cross-border security threats and curbing the spread of terrorism.

    “The Security Council notes the collaboration undertaken between UNOWAS and the Peace-building Commission and encourages continued close and effective cooperation in support of sustainable peace in the region,” Liu said.

    He said the Council noted the dire humanitarian situation caused by the terrorists’ activities in the Lake Chad Basin.

    He called on the international community to “immediately support the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people most affected by the crisis in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria”.

    Liu said support to provide urgent humanitarian assistance for Boko Haram victims included honouring the UN appeal for the Lake Chad Basin region.

    He urged regional governments to facilitate humanitarian access and to work with the UN in developing aid delivery options.