Akwa Ibom state government has lauded the National Boundary Commission’s Transborder Cooperation Initiative, saying the idea would checkmate border hostilities and promote inter-border peace and understanding among border communities.
The state deputy governor, Moses Ekpo, who said this on Wednesday when he led NBC officials to Obot Akara and Ibiono Ibom Local Government Areas, described the initiative as a welcome development.
Represented by his Permanent Secretary, Nkopuruk Ekaiko, Ekpo said the initiative would offer indigenes of Akwa Ibom and Abia States living along the border flashpoints, the hope to go about their normal businesses without any fear of molestation and harm.
He said, “The new initiative will offer opportunity to hitherto warring communities to focus on reconciliatory efforts while the federal agencies will be assisting them in setting up critical life-touching infrastructure at the border communities even as they await the final demarcation of the borders.
“The initiative, if well implemented, will turn out to be the best strategy in reducing tension and conflicts at our nation’s borders, using the instrumentality of economic empowerment for the mutual benefit of all parties.”
He described the system as a win-win situation for the border communities as it will not only stem the tide of wanton destruction of lives and property, but will boost mutual trust and genuine love amongst the border indigenes.
Earlier, the Director General of the NBC, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Internal Boundaries, Nicholas Emiowele, stressed that the border communities had nothing to fear about the new development, as the new strategy has been successfully test-ran on international boundary cases, without failure.
He disclosed that the latest effort by the Commission was a direct mandate by the federal government to ensure the maintenance of peace as well as ensure zero conflict rate at all internal borders of the nation.
He noted that following the huge success rate of the strategy at international level, the Commission decided to test-run it first in Akwa Ibom since the state remains the best in cross-border conflict management.
The Chairman of Obot Akara, Agnes Udoenwenwen and her Ibiono Ibom counterpart, Ekopimo Edet, thanked the state government and NBC for always collaborating to ensure peace and understanding along its border communities.
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