After Bakassi Peninsula: Nigeria can’t afford to lose oil-rich Tongeji Island – Senate

By Peregba Jerry

Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, and former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel, has expressed confidence that Nigeria will not lose the oil-rich Tongeji Island in Ogun State to the Benin Republic like it lost the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

The Senate Committee Chairman, who led other members, made the remarks on Monday, while briefing the media after meeting the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral, Mustapha Hassan, during an oversight function at the Western Naval Command, Lagos.

The Bakassi Peninsula was transferred from Nigeria to Cameroon under the Greentree Agreement designed to implement a ruling of the International Court of Justice, ICJ, in 2002.

Daniel expressed concern over the abandonment of oil-rich Tongeji Island and stressed that the Federal Government cannot afford to lose the Island for any reason.

Allures of Tongeji Island

Tongeji Island is located in Ipokia LGA of Ogun State. The Island is a holiday haven with its impressive water front and breathtaking scenery. Tongeji Island is situated less than five minutes drive from Port Novo in Benin Republic, and 150 minutes by speedboat from the Western Naval Command, WNC, headquarters in Apapa, Lagos. Surrounded by aquatic splendour, the island with its enormous palm/coconut trees, white sand, humid weather and most recently discovered crude oil should ordinarily be a tourists’ paradise.

Being very close to Benin Republic there is need for the Ogun State Government and the Federal Government to be proactive, develop the place and exploit the huge natural resources.

Fielding questions from reporters, after the tour, Daniel said the Federal Government and the committee are both strategizing on what to do to ensure that Nigeria does not lose Tongeji.

“We are currently strategizing on what we need to do as a government so that we don’t lose Tongeji just like we ceded certain areas in Cross River to Cameroon.

“We are working on that but we will not disclose our strategies because these are security matters. I am sure that the Navy has the capacity and capability to do that.”

Responding to the Navy’s demand for a jetty in Badagry area of Lagos, he stated that the demand “is apt. Tongeji Island is like something that is sitting on the wealth of the nation.”

Speaking further he said the Navy is presently grossly under-funded noting that as part of its oversight functions the committee would ensure that it is well-funded.

“This is the Senate committee on the Nigerian Navy. Under my watch, we are here, in the traditional oversight functions, to see what is going on and where we can add value.

“First and foremost, what we have seen is that we have great potential in the Nigerian Navy.

“Part of what we found out during this short visit is that the Navy has a bunch of well-trained personnel. What is required is to support them so that they can perform their functions.

“We are also going to push so that there will be spare parts acquisition. But that is not all, we have found out that the Navy needs a jetty in Badagry area of Lagos and very urgently too.

“When you look at some of the things they face, especially with people that are into smuggling and bunkering and all manner of illicit things going on, the jetty in Badagry is necessary,” he said.

On judicious disbursement of budgetary provision to Navy, Daniel said: “Well, the first thing I want to do here now is to thank Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Tinubu, because he has said he has graciously approved a supplementary budget and that is simply to support the Military and Navy.

“Of course Olivia Twist will still ask for more but we must thank the president and as we are thanking him we must ask for more.

“Disbursement is not going to be a problem because as you can see, we are here and everybody is putting his eyes on everything now. Nothing to hide again.”

Also speaking, the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, disclosed that he was scheduled to visit Tongeji Island along with the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to work out modality for further protection of the Island.

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