The federal government has called on the people of Anambra and Enugu States to sheath their swords and embrace peace over a disputed passel of land between both states.
Director-general of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, made the call during a joint meeting of officials on the Anambra/Enugu inter-state boundary in Abuja yesterday.
Adaji said the commission and the two states have carried out several activities to define the interstate boundary over the years.
He said the various interventions that involved joint meetings and field exercises of tracing and provisional demarcation, provided insights on the status of the boundary showing sectors of agreements and those with conflicting claims by the States.
He said one major challenge that has slowed down the pace of progress on the boundary is the dearth of relevant delimitation instruments.
“The inter divisional map from which coordinates were scaled for use did not provide any helpful data. The affected border communities did not help matters with their divergent claims in some sectors when we contemplated the use of the ground-to-paper approach.
“I accordingly urge us to discuss the issues dispassionately with the common goal of defining the Anambra/Enugu interstate boundary as soon as possible. As we are aware until the boundary is made visible on the ground and respected, it cannot be said to serve its purpose of showing the limits of each State.
“Accordingly, the States are kindly urged to support their respective contingents on any joint exercise to ensure that they participate actively in the boundary resolution/definition process,” he said.
The deputy governor and chairman of Enugu State boundary committee, Barrister Ifeanyi Ossai said the two states must wear a new cap to think differently on how best to bring a permanent solution to the lingering dispute.
According to him, some of the issues along the boundary were instigated by land grabbers for selfish interest, saying that its people should refrain from violence across the border. Ossai said a homegrown solution to the boundary issues is the way forward.
On his part, the deputy governor/chairman, Anambra State Boundary Committee, Onyekachukwu Ibezim said there is every reason to clearly define their boundaries without any loss of life or property.
The solution, he said, is within them, given that they are a people bound together by the same culture.
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