Director-General of the Nigerian Boundary Commission, NBC, Adamu Adaji, has charged stakeholders in Cross River and Abia states to support efforts to restore peace and security in border communities.
Speaking in Calabar at a meeting with top officials of both governments, Adaji
stated that the Commission’s focus over the years has been to re-establish the boundary in accordance with existing documents.
He assured that the NBC will properly delineate the affected communities in the two states.
“We inherited the boundary issue since 1990 which originated from the old Cross River/Imo boundary.
“Our past efforts have resulted in the tracing and provisional demarcation of the entire interstate boundary and the outcome resulted in the two states agreeing on the alignment in some sectors,” he said.
The NBC boss however disagreed with the grey sectors of Erei Farm settlement disputes, Abia, Achara and Biakpan communities and Mbiabong-Ito Arochukwu communities.
Chairman of Cross River State Boundary Committee, SBC, deputy governor, Peter Odey, represented by commissioner for lands in the state, Dr Francis Ekpenyong, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to peaceful coexistence.
Odey called for expedited efforts from stakeholders to settle the age-long boundary issues between both states, assuring of their collaboration and synergy with NBC.
He noted that the disputes have resulted in the loss of lives and property and dislocation of so many persons. According to him, the boundary lines are, in many cases, for administrative convenience.
Also speaking, deputy governor of Abia State, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, said, “The time is now for NBC to intervene and resolve the lingering issues which have claimed lives and destroyed property worth millions of Naira.”
He also reaffirmed the state government’s determination to permanently end the intermittent bloodbaths arising from the boundary disputes.
Boundary skirmishes: NBC vows to restore peace between Cross River, Abia communities
