Cross River/Ebonyi boundary dispute: IPCR tasks peaceful resolution

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has tasked the duo of Cross River and Ebonyi states to tow the part of peace in resolving its age long boundary dispute maintaining that violence was not an option.
In a statement released in Abuja yesterday and signed by the Institute’s Head of Press, Esther Ndukwe it noted that Obubra and Yala local government areas in Cross River and Abakiliki, Uzzi and Ikwo local government areas in Ebonyi state have been involved in boundary dispute over the years.
According to the statement, “Speaking at the stakeholders’ roundtable on the boundary dispute/conflict between Cross River and Ebonyi state organized by IPCR, the Director General of IPCR, Dr. Bakut Tswah Bakut, said that the stakeholders’ meeting become necessary because of the recurrent nature of the conflict and its changing dynamics.
“The DG lamented that the loses in both human and material resources, as a result of the age long conflict that spans over a 100 years in some cases, has been enormous, unimaginable and embarrassing.
“This is no longer acceptable, hence this very enlarged stakeholders meeting cutting across government officials, traditional rulers, town union/opinion leaders, women leaders, youth leaders, security agencies and other critical agencies connected with finding solutions to such a hydra headed conflict,” he said.
Dr. Bakut pointed out that the purpose of land is to use it to take care of the living, adding, “Why then should we want to die for land instead of using it for sustenance?
“The IPCR DG noted that resource control has been a very important casual factor of conflict, “but in the struggle to have access and control of this scarce resource we need not get violence to achieve it.
“We need to bring our various claims to the table for peaceful options and resolutions. We need not take laws in our hands and be the judge in our cases.”