RICHARD NDOMA, Calabar
Candidate of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Ikom/Boki federal constituency and a stakeholder in Boki Local Government Area Hon. Pius Abang, has called on the federal government, Cross River State government, and lawmakers representing the area to urgently intervene in the recent incursion of Cameroonian soldiers into Danare community.
Abang, who is also vying for the Ikom/Boki federal constituency seat on the PDP platform, warned that silence and inaction could cost Nigeria another territorial loss.
Speaking on the incident that occurred yesterday, Abang urged the lawmaker representing Boki 1 constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, the member representing Ikom/Boki federal constituency in the National Assembly, and government authorities not to “pay deaf ears” to the development.
He urged the state government and lawmakers to immediately dispatch relief through State Emergency Management Agency SEMA and National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, and to pay a solidarity visit to Danare community to allay residents’ fears.
He said the presence of foreign troops on Nigerian soil in Danare is a direct threat to national sovereignty and to the safety of residents who are already living in fear.
The Boki stakeholder drew a painful parallel with the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon two decades ago.
He stated that Cross River State is still grappling with the economic and social consequences of that loss, which stripped the state of coastal access and fishing communities.
According to him, allowing history to repeat itself in Danare would be a betrayal of the people who have already borne more than their share of territorial sacrifices.
Abang also recalled that in the last 20 years, Cross River lost its oil-producing status after oil wells were ceded to the Cameroons in Bakassi and neighboring Akwa Ibom State following boundary adjustments.
He argued that the state cannot afford another round of territorial erosion, especially through military incursion. “The state has suffered losses in the last two decades where its oil wells were ceded to a neighbouring state. This should not repeat itself,” he stressed.
He called for immediate and proactive steps from those in authority to resolve the matter diplomatically but firmly.
The PDP chieftain said border security agencies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Boundary Commission must move swiftly to verify the incursion, engage Cameroonian authorities, and reaffirm Nigeria’s territorial integrity in the Danare axis of Boki LGA.
Residents of Danare, a border community in Boki, are said to be apprehensive following the reported entry of Cameroonian soldiers into their territory.
Abang averred that their fears are legitimate given the history of border disputes in the region and the slow response that preceded the Bakassi handover. He insisted that early intervention would help allay tensions and prevent escalation.
The call comes amid growing concerns over border security along Nigeria’s boundary with Cameroon, especially in remote communities where demarcation and patrols are often weak.
He warned that unresolved border incursions, if left unchecked, can embolden further encroachment and complicate bilateral relations between the two countries.
Abang urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration and Governor Bassey Otu’s government to treat the Danare incident as a matter of national urgency.
Abang appealed to the member representing Ikom/Boki federal constituency Hon. victor Abang, to as a matter of urgency move a motion that would cause the federal government to expedites action and take all legal necessary measures to address this issue.
He said immediate decisive action would reassure Nigerians that the lessons of Bakassi have been learnt, and that no part of Cross River or Nigeria will be ceded again through negligence or delay.
— AB AMANI JOJO MEDIA
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