Border clashes: House Committee tasks NBC on awareness education
- Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:51:00 -0500 - Champion News
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National Boundary Commission (NBC) has been asked to step up actions to forestall future border conflicts between neighbouring communities in the country, adding that since land is a fixed resource, community members should be properly educated in the provisions of the Land Use Act.
Chairman, House Committee on Boundary Commission, Hon Emmanuel Omotayo gave the charge yesterday when his committee paid a working visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The House Committee chairman who charged NBC to mount a series of coordinated sensitization campaigns designed to discourage communities from taking up arms to destroy one another, stated that money should not be a stumbling block in the campaign, adding that his committee would ensure a steady increase in NBC’ appropriations.
He said, “The position of the Boundary Commission in the security situation of the country cannot be overstressed. In view of this fact the Commission must became more proactive in the handling of communal clashes. I would urge NBC to organise sensitization campaigns, seminars and workshops to let the people know their positions on the issue of land because since land is fixed people seem to think that lands are their exclusive rights. Where money is the problem you can always approach the committee”.
He enjoined the Commission to wade into the on-going border problem between Oke-Igbo and Ifetedo communities located between Ondo and Osun States.
Earlier, NBC’S Director-General, Alhaji Saddiq Diggi briefing the House Committee on the current situation on the Ogun-Ondo interstate boundary lamented the uncooperative attitudes of the members of the two communities, saying that the people in the area were ready to follow the path of peace.
He, therefore, appealed to the House Committee chairman to prevail on governors of the two states to give his Commission maximum cooperation in the Commission’s intervention in the border conflicts.
Diggi, who was represented by the NBC’s Director of Interstate Boundaries, Surveyor Mohammed Sani Isah said that it could be very disheartening to note that even when the areas of cooperation were enhanced the people often obstruct peace processes or turn them down out right.
He, however, agreed that there must be well defined boundaries so that people would know where they belong.
“We, therefore, appeal to the House Committee to help NBC to intervene as grassroots members of the communities”, he said.
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