Bakassi Returnees Plead for Social Amenities

Calabar — Bakassi returnees at the Ekpri Obutong resettlement camp in the Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, have called on the state government to provide them with a health centre, primary school, electricity and pipe borne water to make them comfortable and life, meaningful.

They made the appeal when Governor Liyel Imoke, who was on a working tour of the area paid them a visit.
The Governor, who was accompanied by his Deputy, Mr. Efiok Cobham and Mr. Vincent Aqua, Director-General State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, urged them to send their children to the nearby primary school. He directed Mr. Saviour Nyong, Chairman, Bakassi council to supply the pupils with books and uniforms.

Imoke said though government can not give every one of them money to start businesses, since they expressed fears of not going back to fishing because of harassments by Cameroonian gendarmes on the high sea, government will look into their plight by creating a reliable programme for them.

He said government will provide them water, electricity, health centre and financial assistance.

He urged the Bakassi council to move its legislative arm to the area as well as cut the grass within the area. Spokesman of the returnees, Mr. Innocent Bassey, who spoke earlier said they are stranded and have no means of livelihood as the sea is no longer safe for them to fish because of harassment from Cameroonian gendarmes. He appealed that they be given financial assistance to start businesses.

Bassey appealed for the provision of “a health centre, primary school, electricity and pipe borne water to enable us live a comfortable life.”