The Cross River State government will set up a border agency that would be tasked with going across borders in the State to meet with the people and hold dialogue that will ensure lasting peace to the areas involved, Deputy Gov. Rt. Hon. Peter Odey has said.
Odey made the announcement when the Cross River/Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement paid him a courtesy call on Thursday, in Calabar.
He warned that communal clashes should be nibbed in the bud before escalation and that there is no war that is good.
As a former House of Assembly member, he said he had led a delegation during the crisis between a Obubra LGA (CRS) and Ebonyi State to plead for peace.
“The efforts of my team and other stakeholders over the years have yielded results today,” he said with satisfaction.
“Your dedication to pursuing lasting peace between the warring communities in both States is worthy of emulation,” he added.
The Peace Movement involves Yala, Obubra, and Abi LGAs in Cross River, south south Nigeria, and lzi, Abakaliki and lkwo LGAs in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria.
Recall that the Cross River/Ebonyi Youth Peace Development Movement was founded in July 2017 after the clashes that ravaged the sister states.
Since the inception of the organization about six years ago, there has been no altercation between communities in the two States, says the leader of the Organization, Barr. Pascal Nwenyi.
The organization said it has met with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) and the National Border Commission (NBC) over their visit the affected areas.
Chief Hon. Ernest Irek, a patron said because issues of conflict resolution and border matters rest with the Office of the Deputy Governor, hence their visit.
“Though young as you are, we look at you as our father and we believe that you are going to give us words of succor,” he said.
Chief Irek said giving them the opportunity to chat with him, that they were so happy.
He said they will no longer allow people to kill themselves because of land.
The visit had in attendance, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Power in Ebonyi State, Engineer Chukuma, and Mrs Arako Emmanuel (Head of Department of Conflict Resolution, Office of the Deputy Governor) Mr.Lucky Okpechi and Mr Ekpe Henry, among others.