Dr Richard Oji, Director of Internal Boundary at the National Boundary Commission, has called on border communities between Akwa Ibom and Abia States to coexist harmoniously to enhance national unity.
Oji made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He said that
though the commission had earlier pleaded with the communities, it wouldn’t be
too much to plead again that they sheathe the swords.
According to him,
the situation has been bad for a long time.
“There have been
killings and the killings are ongoing. This is not good for our growth and
development. We want to sensitise them to imbibe good neigbourliness.
“Sometimes, you
find out that such a situation is not only peculiar to those two states.
“We are urging
them to see themselves as one, Nigerians and brothers and sisters, and to live
in peace,” Oji said.
According to
him, the commission uses concrete pillars to demarcate boundaries.
“Some of them are
about two metres in height, while others are just above one metre with surface
at the base to expose its visibility.
“We also label
the pillars, but some unpatriotic persons in the community destroy our
pillars,” he said.
He, therefore,
urged the state and local governments as well as stakeholders at the community
level, especially the traditional rulers, to assist in enlightening their
people on the implications of tampering with pillars demarcating states.
He reiterated
that boundaries are for mere administrative convenience, stressing that being
in another state does not prohibit an individual from owning a property in the
other state.
(NAN)
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