Twenty-five members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, yesterday, took to the streets to protest the failure of the federal government to appeal the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the Bakassi peninsula.
The Assembly members who? marched from the Assembly complex in Calabar to Governor’s office in Calabar, a distance of about two kilometres sang, “Bakassi is our birth right and we will never let it go”
The protesting lawmakers who were led by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Larry Odey, walked in a solemn mood, decried the action of the federal government on the issue. The members were received by the State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke.
The speaker expressed regret that after the meeting with President Jonathan who constituted the eight man committee to immediately commence the review of the ICJ judgment, nothing was done in that regard.
He said that the reason for the rally was to find out from the governor whether he has further information about the review.
Governor Liyel Imoke also expressed regret about the action of the federal government and said he was disappointed at the attitude of the federal government and wondered whether the statement of Attorney General was federal the government’s position.
Hon. Larry Odey said that 25 members of the House spoke on behalf of the 2.3 million people of the State.
?He declared, “Your Excellency, you recall that Wednesday, last week precisely, you called me to accompany you to Abuja on the invitation of the President to address the issues relating to the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroun.
“There, in Abuja, we listened to everything that transpired in the meeting. In summary the preponderance of opinion in that meeting that has the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives in attendance and our sons and daughters from the Cross River at both houses of National Assembly in attendance.
“The consensus of opinion with respect to whether the judgment of the ICJ should be reviewed or not, was in favour of review and I recall that Mr President said that he requested speakers of Houses of Assembly of Akwa Ibom and Cross River to be in attendance because he wanted us to convey back to our people what transpired in the meeting.
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