NEW CALEDONIA LIKELY TO PUSH FOR FRESH REFERENDUM

 

NEW CALEDONIA LIKELY TO PUSH FOR FRESH REFERENDUM

BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU,LAGOS,NIGERIA

French colony ,New Caledonia might likely push for another round of referendum if feelers as at press time is anything to go by .

Checks by The News office Desk of The E.N.M.Paedia Express Multimedia Group of Lagos ,Nigeria shows that since the first referendum had about 56 percent of its citizen electing to stay in France and the second one which was held recently    had about 53 percent and thus showed an increment in hope for  secession then it will not be out of place to expect another try at a referendum.

Those who had voted to leave the hold of France as there colonial masters wanted to do so on the account of self determination as against those who wanted to stay with France due to the fear of the unknown . 

Sources say that France gives an annual subsidy of about $1.3bllion to augment the island  nations' economy   .

The island nations  is 16,000 kilometers from Paris n  France   with insiders insisting that the second wave of referendum could be challenged as early as 2022  .

Multiple sources say that the people of  New Caledonia have always stated that they wanted a referendum and f they are able to get what they want after the next attempt  then no one seems to be sure  exactly what will happen ..

Analysts have also pointed out that if the people of New Caledonia decide to stick with France   then either way a framework will have to be developed for their future.

Though France has tried to overcome its past crisis on the island nation ,feelers suggests tension between settlers and the pioneers run vey deep.

The island was previously used to jail political prisoners and the nation is a major global  powerhouse n Nickel production.

it also produces other mineral resources  like chrome ,cobalt,i ron,copper,Gold and manganese .

it s  an island and French overseas territory in the pacific and lies about 800 East of Australia,besides the main island   the territory includes the loyalty islands   which is encircled by a coral reef .

A Chain of mountains in the anterior reaches 5,413 feet  in mt panie and 5,361 ft in mount humboltdt .

Captain James Cook discovered and named the island in 177 and in 1843 a French Roman Catholic Mission was established..

It was annexed by France in 1853 ,Noumea was created  the following year with the entire nation   becoming an overseas territory  of France in 1946..

As at 1970 there were 50 medical centers ,a hospital ,2 secondary schools and about 250 primary schools...

Crops like Yams ,Sweet Potatoes,Taro,Manoc,Maize,Coconut Palms at 3,000 tons ,Coffee at 1,800 tons ,100,000 cattle ,20,000 Goats.

Electricity is produced from the Yates Dam with Noumea being the port and industrial centre   ...