Abia State Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu has called on the National Boundary Commission to muster the political will to devise means of bringing lasting solutions to interstate boundary disputes.
According to him, that would be achieved by permanently demarcating the boundary lines of disputing states rather than trivializing issues bothering on boundary problems.
Sir Oko Chukwu made the call in a-two day Interactive Session of the National Boundary Commission with States’ Boundary Committees in the South East Zone held at the ADIG Suites Hotel, Besara Road, Independent layout, Enugu.
He equally called on the Commission to be more proactive in resolving interstate boundaries across the South East and the Nation at large to check colossal loss of lives and property arising from boundary skirmishes.
The Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman Abia State Boundary Committee, urged governments at all level to be more serious and provide enough resources to the joint field workers and other stakeholders involved in the boundary demarcation exercise to enable them discharge and perform optimally and bring the issues of demarcation of boundaries to a logical conclusion.
In their remarks, the Deputy Governors of Enugu State, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo and her Imo state counterpart, Prof. Placid Njoku enjoined the National Boundary Commission to hasten up the process of boundary demarcation between states in the South East Zone and appreciated the leadership of National Boundary Commission for conveying the Interactive Session that provided them the platform to brainstorm on problems confronting them on the way forward.
In a paper presentation, titled, “The Definition of Inter state Boundaries, the Management Structure and the Journey so Far – South East Zone in Prospective,” the Acting Director, National Boundary Commission, Surv. Adamu Adaji attributed some of the reasons for disputes to non proper delimitation of the boundaries when new administrative units are created, politics of boundaries and the ambiguous delineation of the boundaries on maps and chats that cannot be translated onto the ground among others.
He described the Commission as a body that was established in 1987 to foster peace and increase cooperation between the border communities.
The interactive session also featured presentations on activities of the Abia State Boundary Committee towards collective resolution of boundary problems in the state and neighbouring states by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Boundary Matters, Sir Chris Nwanevu, goodwill messages , papers presentation from various resources persons as well as questions and answers session from participants and stakeholders which was anchored by the Chairman on the Occasion, Prof. A.O Ekoko .
The representatives of Deputy Governors of Anambra and Ebonyi States, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Office of the Deputy Governor, Sir Don Ubani, wife of former Deputy Governor and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Survey, Mrs Joy Nwakanma, members of the state Boundary Committee, Traditional Rulers, security personnel and Stakeholders in the boundary issues attended the interactive session.
Comments are closed.