By Hauwa Ali
Cross River Senator, representing Southern Senatorial District, and Chairman of the
Cross River Caucus in the National Assembly, Gershom Bassey has disclosed that he
has proposed a Bill for the establishment of a Nigerian Research Institute for Fisheries
and Aqua Culture in Bakassi Local Government Area (LGA) in Cross River State.
Bassey who disclosed this in a statement indicated that the proposed bill has been
presented to the Senate and will soon be given public hearing for consideration.
According to him, the senate’s considering of the proposal to establish the school will be
a way of compensation for the impacts created by the loss of the 76 oil wells, as well as
the ceding of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, thereby depriving the people of their
sources of livelihood.
“The story of the loss of the 76 oil wells that belonged to Bakassi and Cross River State
is not a new story and this arose as a result of ceding Bakassi to Cameroon through no
fault of ours”. He said.
He noted that the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon which is a bonafide part of Nigeria
was done without consultation with the people of Bakassi which has thrown their means
of livelihood into confusion.
“This is the reason there has been increased criminality because the people have no
means of livelihood. The main means of livelihood of the people of Bakassi was fishing
and fisheries and with the ceding of Bakassi even this means of livelihood was thrown
into confusion.” He said.
According to him, consideration of the bill would be an attempt by the Federal
Government to re-establish its presence in the Bakassi LGA through education.
“This is the reason we have proposed this school of Fisheries in Bakassi LGA and it is
not just for the Bakassi people but for Nigerians.
Bakassi “is one of the most traumatized LGA in the country. Bakassi LGA has been
created, recreated and recreated as a result of intervention from even as high as the
Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“Bakassi is a place in the Atlantic Ocean and the school will create the necessary
attention that Bakassi requires to educate its people.” He said.
He added that when the school is established, it will be a degree-awarding higher
school to address the agriculture value chain and will help a great deal in appeasing the
people.
