Govt raises panel to demarcate Abia, Akwa Ibom boundaries
From Gordi Udeajah, Umuahia
TO end the lingering boundary dispute between Abia and Akwa Ibom states, the Federal Government has raised a Joint Field Team (JFT) to demarcate the two states' boundaries.
The JFT, which was set up by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), has as its chairman, the surveyor-general of the federation with the members comprising representatives of the NBC and chairmen of the affected councils in the two states.
Inaugurating the JFT at the Bende (Abia State) Council headquarters, Prof. Abednego Ekoko, the NBC commissioner in-charge of internal boundaries, said an ethnographic study done on the two states' boundary communities produced acceptable delimitation instruments to support the duo's claims.
He solicited the cooperation of the communities for the success of the JFT assignment and urged the committee members to exhibit the highest sense of patriotism and honesty during the exercise.
Elated by this development and pledging their governments' cooperation towards ending the dispute, both deputy governors of Abia and Akwa Ibom states, Dr. Chima Nwafor and Chris Ekpenyong, said the boundary dispute had led to loss of lives and property.
Maj. Francis Onuoha (rtd), Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor on Boundary Matters, said traditional heads of the affected communities were to select one person each who will represent them in the JFT.
He said such nominees ought to be ones versed in their history and able to show the JFT prominent landmarks demarcating their communities from those of their neighbours.
Onuoha, however, cautioned that such nominees would not be expected to meddle with any traditional demarcation existing in another community. He added that if this rule is strictly followed, the job of the JFT will be made easier towards realising the desired lasting peace in the two states.
It was gathered that the Federal Government in 1985 promulgated Decree 23 to enforce the recommendations of the Kaloma Ali Boundary Ascertainment Commission. The said content of the decree was not entirely acceptable, hence, incessant clashes occurred among the border communities.
To redress this, the Federal Government mandated the NBC to liaise with the two states with a view to demarcating acceptable boundaries by the setting up the JFT.
