As part of efforts to resolve the boundary dispute between Kogi and Edo States, a meeting of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) involving the two states Governors is to be convened at a date to be fixed by the NBC.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a Joint Meeting of Officials on Kogi/Edo inter-state boundary, which took place in Benin City, yesterday.
The communique which was signed by the Deputy Governor/Chairman Edo State Boundary committee, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, and the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Dr. Phillip Salawu who was represented by Barr. Tunde Bello, Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Kogi state as well as the Director-General, National Boundary Commission, Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, further stated that the monumentation of the boundary between the two states shall be in line with agreements reached as much as possible.
It further noted that the National Boundary Commission Board shall be requested to direct the constitution of a demarcation team to include representatives of traditional institutions, relevant business firms and other stakeholders to work out appropriate modalities for the smooth execution of the demarcation process including provision of security, and that there shall be continued enlightenment and sensitization of the border communities by Traditional Rulers, Local Government Chairman, and the various stakeholders on the need for peaceful co-existence amongst the border communities of both states during the demarcation exercise.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Pius Egberanmwen Odubu, lamented the inability of the contractor engaged to carry out the demarcation exercise between Edo and Kogi States as a result of the resistance of some border communities in Kogi state.
Dr. Odubu appealed to the National Boundary Commission to prevail on Kogi state to allow the contractor to carry out the demarcation exercise, pointing out that the report of the Joint Field Team (JFT), which was presented and adopted by the IBTC, and accordingly signed by representatives of the two states on 28th February, 2006, should be implemented.
