Cameroon Lays Claim to Obudu Ranch

Calabar — As the Cameroonian government enjoys the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to it, it has extended its claims of ownership to the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obanliku local government area of Cross River State. But the Cross River state government says such a claim is only an empty threat that is yet to be substantiated.

Director-General of the Cross River Border Development Commission (BORDERCOM), Mr. Leo Aggrey who disclosed the alleged claim by the Cameroonian government recently, said the matter was still considered a rumor by the state government.

Hear him: “The Cameroonians are threatening to take over the Obudu Ranch Resort, the Cross River state tourism haven”. Mr. Aggrey, who was addressing newsmen on the achievements and prospects of his commission so far, said it was alleged that there was a renewed move by the Cameroonian officials to agitate for the ownership of the landlord communities of the ranch.

He, however, described the development as “empty threat’ as anything serious on that would have been presented at the International Court of Justice[ICJ] at the Hague “as was the case with Bakassi”.

The Director-General said his commission had spent N214million on the development of some border communities in the state between 2007 and 2008, adding that more achievements are being recorded.

On Bakassi, Mr Aggrey said the state government continued to accord priority attention to the needs of the displaced Bakassi people in response to their plight, stating that a number of projects had been outlined for them including the construction of the long awaited Dayspring/Qua Island.

He remarked that the new area, when completed, would offer the displaced people the opportunity of going back to their initial primary occupations of farming and fishing on a larger scale as government intended to enhance their capacity in this regard.

Edem Edem|4 August 2010|Leadership (Abuja)|