THE Bakassi People's General Assembly has dissociated itself from the call for Bakassi Efik indigenes to join other ethnic nationalities of Southern Cameroun to form a new sovereign state.
In a statement on Friday, the group, which isunder the leadership of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, described the call to join Southern Cameroonians to form a new state as a distraction.
The statement, which was signed by Ita-Giwa, emphasised that what is paramount in the minds of Bakassi people isresettlement, not the formation of a sovereign state.
The statement reads in part: "The umbrella organisation for Bakassi Aborigines, Bakassi People's General Assembly under the leadership of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa wishes to dissociate itself from the call for Bakassi Efik indigenes to join other ethnic nationalities of Southern Cameroun to form a new sovereign state as contained in a story published recently in the media."
Ita-Giwa noted that the "General Assembly has consistently called for the relocation and resettlement of the displaced indigenes of Bakassi in the Kwa Island and Day Spring 1 and 2 Islands, which are the only unceded portions of Bakassi land."
She added: "For the avoidance of doubt, we Bakassi indigenes affirm that we are bona fide Nigerians and have no interest in forming a new nation or changing our nationality. We have proof of our nationality in our voters' cards, which were issued to uson Kwa Island as well as Day Spring Islands 1and 2.