C'River: Ugep, Idomi Must Sustain Peaceful Coexistence -Odey
By Ekanem ASUQUO
The Deputy Governor of Cross River State and Chairman of the State Boundary Committee, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, has called on the Ugep and Idomi communities in Yakurr Local Government Area to embrace unity, restraint, and cooperation as government intensifies efforts to resolve their lingering boundary dispute.
Odey made the appeal during a peace meeting held on Monday at Government House, Calabar, where stakeholders from both communities gathered to deliberate on the dispute and chart a path toward lasting peace.
He commended participants for their peaceful conduct and constructive engagement during the meeting, describing their disposition as a clear indication of their collective desire for harmony and coexistence.
The Deputy Governor noted that both communities had coexisted peacefully over the years and urged them to work together to restore and sustain peace in the area.
Following extensive deliberations, the state government announced a fresh timeline for the boundary demarcation process.
According to resolutions reached at the meeting, the Surveyor General of the state, alongside the State Security Adviser, the Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Council, and five chiefs from each of the affected communities, will move to the disputed area within one week to conduct a demarcation exercise.
Government stated that the exercise would be carried out in line with agreed traditional boundary alignments identified by both communities.
The affected parties were also directed to submit relevant documents supporting their claims to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government before the commencement of the field exercise.
The Surveyor General and his team are expected to submit their report within one week after the exercise, while a follow up meeting will later be convened at Government House to review the findings and finalize the boundary demarcation.
The government further urged stakeholders to sensitize youths, women, and elders in their communities on the need to maintain peace and avoid acts capable of causing violence.
It warned that any breach of peace would not be tolerated throughout the process, stressing that the Paramount Ruler of Yakurr Local Government Area and clan heads of the affected communities would be held accountable for any breakdown of law and order in their respective domains.
The Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Council was also mandated to provide adequate security in collaboration with the State Security Adviser and other relevant security agencies during the exercise.
The Cross River State Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a fair, transparent, and peaceful resolution of the dispute in the interest of development and harmony in the area.
