The federal government Wednesday called for stronger collaboration from state governments to resolve interstate boundary disputes across the country.
The Director General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surveyor Adamu Adaji, stated this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, which was aimed at proffering solution to the lingering Abia/Akwa Ibom boundary dispute.
Adaji noted that the focus of the exercise was to facilitate dialogue, exchange ideas, and develop sustainable strategies for resolving existing boundary issues.
According to him, the commission has realigned past and present strategies to ensure that the lingering conflicts between the two states are amicably settled even as he urged all stakeholders to recognize and support the commission’s ongoing initiatives.
Further, he explained that the border between them spans approximately 275 kilometers along the old Cross River/Imo boundary. This region includes “tripoints” where the borders of Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River meet in the north, and Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers intersect in the south—a “tripoint” being a geographical point where the boundaries of three regions converge.
Adaji regretted that efforts to resolve the conflict had stalled because the contending parties failed to accept the recommendations of the Kaloma Ali Boundary Ascertainment Commission which had adjusted the boundaries largely based on Decree 23 of 1985.
He noted that directives to permanently demarcate the boundary by installing boundary pillars were yet to be implemented.
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom government has lamented the resurgence of cases of hostilities, abduction, destruction of lives and properties at some the border flash points.
The state deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi said the killings of Nkari people of Ini local government area of Akwa Ibom by their Ikwauno neighbours of Abia State, whose corpses were yet to be recovered by their family members for burial, has become a growing concern.
She further lamented the attitude of some disgruntled persons at the borders communities who who disrupted field tracing exercise by the Joint Task Force and subsequent law suits for selfish gains.
The state called for a concerted approach to ensure lasting peace.
