The National Boundary Commission (NBC) has warned warring parties in Akwa Ibom to separate sentiments and politics from the boundary delineation exercise to achieve success.
The NBC Director-General, Mr Adamu Adaji, who was represented by Mrs. Amina Adamu, a director in the Commission, spoke this at the commencement of sensitization visit by the team to disputed border communities of Ini, Ibiono Ibom, Itu and Uruan Local Government Areas on Monday.
The DG said the visit was a strategic phase in the Commission’s programme towards a successful boundary delineation exercise, identified parochial interest, claims and counter-claims by selfish individuals as the major factors hindering peaceful boundary delineation exercise.
Consequently, the DG appealed to stakeholders in all the affected local government areas to continue to maintain peace and prepare towards the final demarcation of the troubled borders.
The team further assured that field officers from the Commission would soon arrive at the state to commence the joint field tracing exercise.
The Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo noted that there was need to translate the catalogue of meetings, sensitization tours and boundary tracing exercises into a final demarcation exercise in order to end restiveness and wanton loss of lives in the disputed areas.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mr. Nkopuruk Ekaiko, the deputy governor stressed the need for the people of the affected areas to co-operate with the NBC officials to ensure the success of the field tracing exercise.
Ekpo, therefore, called on the agency to speed up its activities in order to ensure the return of peace to the troubled areas.
At Ini Local Government, the Paramount Ruler called on both the federal and state governments to come to the plight of the people by providing the area with motorable roads.
His representative, His Highness Ekpeobong Onosin who bared the mind of the community said the call had become imperative in view of the need to engender peace through improved security network, give the people a true sense of belonging while helping to evacuate food and agricultural produce as the area remains the food basket of the state.
Another prominent community leader, retired Squadron Leader Benjamin Ukpe stated that the genesis of the Ini border crises was traceable to the fact that only a limited number of documents were allowed to be front-loaded to the NBC.
Ukpe pleaded for the presentation of further relevant documents to the Commission for peaceful resolution of the crisis.
He frowned at the wrong timing of the field tracing exercise scheduled for the rainy season, saying it would make the exercise an impossible one.
