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Communities in the state embroiled in intractable border crises will henceforth forfeit such land to the State Government for agricultural purposes.
The Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, while giving a keynote address during the Akwa Ibom and Abia Inter-State Boundary meeting, marking 2015 International Day for Tolerance at Army Base, Nto Ndang, Obot Akara Local Government Area, noted that the upcoming farming season is always the harbinger of distrust, leading communities to fatal skirmishes with one another, which often result in wanton loss of lives and property.
Maintaining that with the theme of this year’s event, “Towards lasting peace in our borders”, the Deputy Governor said the cause of advancing peace in border communities remained sacrosanct and the State government is irrevocably committed to its enduring success.
Mr. Ekpo pointed out that “The day is not a celebration of vanity. No it is not. Neither is it configured to serve any narrow political interest. It is important to stress that today’s event will remain the single needed ritual to seal our common fate of a lasting peace in our borders”, stressing that communities “must make tolerance their watchword.”
The Abia State Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, commended his Akwa Ibom counterpart for the initiative, explaining that his boss, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was passionate about efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful co-existence among the inhabitants of border communities.
Describing the meeting as very apt, Sir Chukwu said that it would enable the two states to join the global community in marking the United Nations International Day of Tolerance and jointly address border communities on the need for peaceful coexistence, and expressed the desire of Abia state government to seeing a peaceful and amicable resolution and proper demarcation of boundaries with neighbouring states, including Akwa Ibom State.
He assured that Abia and Akwa Ibom governments in conjunction with National Boundary Commission and other relevant stakeholders will continue to intensify efforts to find lasting solutions to boundary issues, and encouraged inhabitants of border communities to tolerate one another and always employ dialogue in addressing disputes, whenever they arose.
In the tone setting, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah applauded the commitment shown by the two State Governments to the enthronement of peace among the border communities, and advised the people against fighting for land, “we do not control as all land belongs to God”.
Mr. Umanah lauded the mutual respect and cordial relationship existing between the Deputy Governors of Akwa Ibom and Abia States, which he said was an example worth emulating. He pointed out that the array of personalities who attended the event underscored the importance of the event.
The Rector Magnificus of Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Umuahia Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Celestine Chibueze Uzondo, praised Abia and Akwa Ibom States for marking the International Day for Tolerance with an inter-boundary meeting, describing it as a sign of willingness to bring border clashes to an end.
Mentioning tolerance as a social virtue and a precondition for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi–cultural society, Rev. Fr. Dr. Uzondo urged the two states to use the seminary sited at the warring border communities of Ikwuano and Obot Akara as the ground for the peace between Abia and Akwa Ibom States.
The Obot Akara Transition Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Amama, thanked the State for constructing the hitherto abandoned Nto Edino-Ekwerazu Road, the closest link with the neighboring State serving as the socio-economic and unifying nerve line of the border communities, reiterating, “Our Abia State neighbours are our brothers and we intermarry, trade among ourselves and share a common heritage and therefore must continue to live as such.”
Goodwill messages were also received from some individuals in both States including a one-time Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong (Engr.) Chris Ekpenyong, House Member representing, Ikwuano State Constituency, Hon. Theophilus Ugboaja and the officer in-charge of Army Base, Nto Ndang, Lt. O. E.Oyamedan.
The event attended by personalities from both States witnessed the breaking and sharing of traditional kola between Abia State contingent and their Akwa Ibom counterparts. The high point of the event was the presentation of raffia souvenir to the Deputy Governor of Abia and his entourage by Mr. Moses as tokens for the peace initiated between the two states.
The Joint Celebration of the 2015 International Day for Tolerance by the governments of Akwa Ibom and Abia State is meant to provide an auspicious benchmark and functional index for other Border States of the Federation facing challenges at their common borders.
