Governor Dave Umahi
Ebonyi not at war with Cross River – Umahi
By Nweze Anaga, Abakaliki
Ebony State Governor, Engr David Umahi, has called on Federal Government to revisit Justice Mamman Nasir Boundary Adjustment panel reports of 1975 to address the incessant Boundary conflicts across the country.
He made the appeal when he received on a courtesy call the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Tswah Bakut, at the Government House Abakaliki.
The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kelechi Igwe, said that the commission did not take into cognisance cultural affinities and history of the people while carrying out the exercise.
“This”, he said, “has created intractable conflicts among some communities in the country.
“If there is a way you can approach the Federal Government especially National Assembly to revisit that report and do the proper adjustment because there is no way you can just go to a people and start separating them from their kiths and kins”.
The governor
Said that apart from Ebonyi being agrarians, they were core traditionalists, who believe in God and respect the sanctity of lives.
He said that Ebonyi was not at war with their neighbouring Cross River State, pointing out that some unscrupulous elements often create trouble for their personal gains.
The governor appealed to the institute to assist Ebonyi to sustain the relative peace that is existing
between Ebonyi and Cross River State, while urging it to assist victims of the conflicts with relief materials.
Besides, the Director General, Dr Bakut, had said that the institute which was established in 2000 had been conducting strategic conflict assessments to identify areas of potential conflicts.
Bakut said that the institute realised there had been conflicts between Ebonyi and Cross River states, hence their visit to sensitise the communities on the need to live in peace.
He acknowledged the efforts of the government of the two states at restoring peace in the boundary communities, and assured that as interventionists, they would assist greatly in that direction.
“In 2018, we conducted a baseline research between Amagu Ikwo in Ebonyi State and Adadama in Cross River State and observed that both state governments have done a lot to maintain peace and that proper adjustment has not been carried out in the area because of reoccurring conflicts,” he said.
The event was attended by top government officials both within and outside the state.
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