•Accuses politicians of playing politics with land
Deji Elumoye
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with State Deputy Governors over incessant misunderstandings that usually erupt over boundary disputes among states.
The meeting held in Abuja, saw the vice president explaining that the meeting was convened to enable all stakeholders in boundary issues, understand the Act establishing the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and roles they must play to mitigate misunderstandings that emanate from it.
Osinbajo, who is also Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, acknowledged that politicians were in the habit of playing games with lands, irrespective of the fact that some people attach so much emotions to land and boundary issues.
Declaring the meeting open before it went into a close-door session, Osinbajo said, “the idea of this meeting is to discuss the Act, inter-state rancour and various misunderstandings which the Commission from time to time deals with, with the stakeholders. For instance we would jointly review the works of the Commission, we cannot stress this enough that land is an emotive issue, most times fatalities evolves from land disputes.
“There has to be an understanding of who has access to land because in some cases these are tied to ancestors. But these issues should not result in violence, in some cases resolving these disputes can only be done at the highest levels of governance.
“Let me remind us that we are not here to resolve any particular state border crisis, but perhaps this meeting will review how disputes can be settled without political interference because very often when politicians play games with lands, it results in creating tensions.”
State Deputy Governors who double as state chairmen of the Boundary Commissions present at the meeting included Abia, Adamawa,Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Taraba and Yobe.
The NBC established in Nigeria under CAP 238 of 1990, is responsible for controlling the activities at the borders Nigeria shares with other countries. It is also tasked with forestalling the inflow of contraband and illegal materials into the country as well as resolving issues that may arise between Nigerian states that shares borders.
While many states in the country have inter-boundary disputes, which sometimes result in communal clashes and deaths, the National Boundary Commission, as the regulatory agency has been deploying efforts to amicably resolve them.
