CALABAR: To resolve issue originated since 1990, in the former Cross River/Imo boundary, a two-day Joint Meeting of Officials on the Abia/Cross River Interstate Boundary had been held on Wednesday in Calabar.
The Deputy Governor, Hon. Peter Odey of Cross River State who doubles as Chairman of the State Boundary Committee (SBC), seeked National Boundary Commission’s (NBC’) Collaboration to Resolve Interstate Boundary with Abia State.
Represented by the Commissioner for Lands, Chief (Dr) Francis Ekpenyong called for expedited efforts from stakeholders to settle the age-long boundary issues.
Also, he expressed hope that “all the boundary-related disputes in the state would soon be a thing of past.”
Fred Abua, Esq. Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Cross River State in an E-sign report stated that the age-long disputes have resulted in migration, dislocation, loss of lives and property of so many persons.
In addition, “highpoint of the meeting include the adoption of a communique jointly signed by the Deputy Governors of the two states,” Abua reported. But did not provide details of the signed Communique.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, said the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti was happy over the meeting to permanently put to an end the lingering crisis.
Moreover, he reaffirmed the determination of the Abia State Governor, in cooperating with NBC and the Cross River State Government.
In his welcome address, Truth Live News learned that the Surveyor-General of Cross River State, Surv. Patrick Bassey, called on the stakeholders to deliberate the issues that seeks to permanently resolve the interstate boundary issues.
Also speaking, the Director-Genral of the NBC, Surv. Adamu Adaji, said despite the adoption of the Communique signed by the two states, there are still grey sectors of disagreement.
According to him, the sister states are disagreeing in the grey sectors of Erei Farm settlement disputes, Abia, Achara, Biakpan communities and Mbiabong-Ito in Arochukwu communities.
“Our past efforts have resulted in the tracing and provisional demarcation of the entire interstate boundary,” Adaji, said. The outcome of their efforts resulted in the two states agreeing on the alignment in some sectors.
The meeting provides opportunity for stakeholders to jointly review the work of the technical experts as presented during the technical session.