Boarder Feud: Implementation of trans- border initiative will ginger peace in boarder communities_ Dep. Gov.
Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo has appealed to the Federal government to give serious thought to the implementation of the trans-border initiative recommended by the National Boundary Commission (NBC), saying the delay in it implementation has hindered peace building among conflicting communities in Nigeria.
He made this appeal while fielding questions from journalists in his office on Thursday in Uyo, the state capital.
Ekpo explained that the trans-border initiative was a lofty idea from the National Boundary Commission that would have assisted in peace deals in warring areas, especially in the border communities.
According to him, the Transborder Co-operation initiative, a novel idea evolved by the National Boundary Commission, NBC, to checkmate boarder hostilities and promote inter-border peace and understanding was embraced by the state governments to tackle conflicts arising from boundaries disputes.
He regretted that if the programme was implemented, it would have helped in solving border conflicts as well as restoring peace.
Ekpo recalled that the Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company ( NNMC) established by the federal government at Oku Iboku, Itu local government area in Akwa Ibom state served the warring communities from Cross River and the Akwa Ibom States without any conflict recorded within the period.
He noted that immediately after the company collapsed, hostilities resumed in the area causing many residents to flee the area.
“When Oku Iboku paper mill was there, we never had any conflict between neighbouring communities there. But as soon as the Paper Mill collapsed, communities around there were at war with each other”
“If the Paper Mill was still functioning, we wouldn’t have the communal conflicts there because many youths would have engaged themselves in meaningful jobs to help them instead of fighting ”
He urged the federal government to implement the trans-border cooperation initiative to curb hostilities in border communities.
The Deputy Governor appreciated federal Donor Agencies like the National Emergency Relief Management Agency ( NEMA) for assisting the state government in providing relief materials to victims of the border crises and other communities in the state.
