Rivers Moves To Resolve Boundary Issues

Rivers State Government, says it is poised to resolve all boundary related issues in order to sustain the relative peace existing in the state.

The State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Boundary Commission, Engr. Tele  Ikuru, said this  while inaugurating the Technical Committee on Bukuma/Tombia Boundary Demarcation Exercise in Government House, Port Harcourt.

Acknowledging that boundary-related matters “from time immemorial have been a difficult one,” Engr. Ikuru, however, promised that the Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration in the State was determined to “demarcate the various boundaries in the State and resolve issues surrounding them, adding that it was with a view to averting situations that could generate into crisis that sometimes results in wanton destruction of lives and property.

The Deputy Governor assured that the State boundary commission under his leadership would continue to be forthright and impartial in its decisions and urged members to toe the same path and be fair to all parties concerned and warned the Bukuma and Tombia communities to expedite the process by watching their words and actions in order to avoid compromising the exercise.

Responding, Chairman of committee and the State Commissioner for Lands and Survey,  Barr. Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi, thanked the Deputy Governor for the confidence reposed in the committee members, assuring that they would process in order to complete  the exercise within the stipulated six weeks.

He also pledged that all issues related to the Bukuma/Tombia boundary would adequately be addressed at the end of the exercise.

Also speaking, Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Mr. Ibigoni Pokima, expressed appreciation to Governor Chibuike Amaechi, his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, the State Boundary Commission and all other stakeholders for initiating the process, saying, he was  optimistic that the issues at stake would be resolved, assuring that the local government would provide all the necessary factors to make the exercise successful.

Other members of the committee are the Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Legal Matters, Barr. Joy Jack, representative of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Surveyors Wenike Iroanusi and Festus Epelle from the State Ministry of Lands and Survey, Vice Chairman of Degema Local Goverment Council, Mr. Ibiere Duke, and two other representatives from the Council.

Others are three representatives from each of the two  communities, representatives of the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Police and the  Joint Military Taskforce (JTF), while Mr. Lucky Atangsi of the State Boundary Commission will serve as Secretary of the Committee.