The Nationwide Boundary Fee has begun new strikes to finish the long-running boundary dispute between Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The fee invited the officers of the 2 nations to a spherical desk in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Director Common of the Nationwide Boundaries Fee, Adamu Adaji, famous that earlier conferences didn’t yield the specified outcomes.
Adaji famous that the disputed border spanned 275 kilometers in size between the Stari Krst river/Imo interstate border space.
He added that the border has “triple factors” at Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River within the North and Abia, Akwa Ibom and Rivers within the South.
A tri-border or tri-border space is a geographical level the place the borders of three nations or sub-national entities meet.
Adaji defined that the Federal Authorities promulgated Regulation 23 of 1985 to regulate the boundary to the suggestions of the Kaloma Ali Boundary Fee, as the start line for the boundary.
He famous, nevertheless, that the directives of the Federal Authorities to demarcate and demarcate the border by erecting everlasting border posts haven’t been applied.
“Since taking up the method of defining the border, the fee has performed varied unconvincing workout routines of monitoring the terrain and momentary demarcation on the border.
“The challenges have at all times been the shortage of clear demarcation devices or their vagueness the place they exist.
“Different challenges embody deliberate efforts to misread paperwork by stakeholders or their failure to just accept them.
“Thankfully, we managed to determine sectors of the border that aren’t outlined by the road of the Regulation; sectors which might be in dispute in addition to sectors that the 2 states have agreed as their areas of consensus,” Adaji stated.
He stated that the assembly on Wednesday was organized to assessment the standing of works on the border and to debate the progress in direction of the completion of the remaining works.
He additionally referred to as for the formation of a joint technical crew of officers from the Federal Authorities and the 2 states to doc what has been accomplished up to now.
Adaji added that the crew will determine the elements of the border which might be coated and people that aren’t, and create detailed maps for stakeholders to proceed the dialog.
In his feedback, the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Ikechukwu Emetu, described the border disputes as human challenges, expressing confidence that they are going to be resolved.
Emetu, additionally the Chairman of the Abia Boundary Committee, suggested that circumstances involving boundary adjustment needs to be handled in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Structure.
“If all of us resolve to resolve this drawback for ourselves and our individuals, we are going to absolutely discover options that may be utilized to totally different sectors of the disputed borders,” he stated.
Additionally, addressing the assembly, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akon Eyakenyi, expressed optimism that the 2 states would renew their energy and undertake a progressive strategy to resolving the difficulty.
“We’re one, however we should always remind ourselves and our individuals of this proven fact.
“These protracted disputes courting again to the Nineteen Eighties are largely attributable to human nature and lack of political will on the a part of the authorities,” he stated.