Border Dispute Resolution: Cross River & Ebonyi States’ Youths Celebrate 5-Year Truce
Moses Nwite, Abakaliki.
In order to demonstrate their avowed determination for peaceful coexistence in the border communities of Cross River and Ebonyi States, the youths of the two sister states have celebrated 5 years of truce.
According to reports, the boundary dispute between these two states dates back several years.
It will be recalled that the border communities of Cross River and Ebonyi States had clashes resulting in the destruction of lives and valuable property due to boundary conflict and misapprehension within their areas.
In his address, the President of Cross River – Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement, Barrister Paschal Nwenyi, expressed joy over the event.
Acccording to him, the aim was to collaborate with community-based peace structures and critical stakeholders for the development of effective conflict early warning response.
This would enhance conflict prevention in the two sister states and Nigeria in general.
Nwenyi said that the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution would formally inaugurate a Community-Based Early Warning-Early Response System (CB-CEWERS) made up of the members of Cross River – Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement (CREBYPDM).
Emphasizing the significance of the event, Nwenyi described the inauguration as “very vital because it is marking the 5 years’ end of hostilities and communal conflicts at the border coast of some parts in Ebonyi State, involving
“We were born to meet the land and will certainly die, leaving the land to the generations yet unborn. The purpose of the land is, therefore, to use it to take care of the living.
“Why then should we die for land instead of using it for sustenance?
“We need to bring our various claims to the table for peaceful options and resolutions. We need not to take the laws in our hands and be judge in our case.”
He disclosed that it was on that premise that the youths from the two sister states, in collaboration with their stakeholders, introduced a systematic approach to return their lost peace,
The president maintained that the inaugural ceremony of the 5-year truce in the two states would engender collaborative negotiations, multi-stakeholder engagement and census-building, which are valuable for synchronizing issues, with the target of achieving a commonality of purpose among their diverse interests.
He commended the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, for its bold step in strengthening the objectives of the Cross River and Ebonyi Youth Peace Development Movement (CREBYPDM), which has engaged itself in peace-building initiatives.
He also lauded the Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu and his Ebonyi State counterpart, Chief Francis Nwifuru, alongside their deputies and government functionaries for their contributions to the sustenance of border peace.
He commended the traditional rulers, the clergy and all the citizens of the two states, especially those from the war-affected areas, for having let peace reign in their vicinities in the past five years.
Presentation of goodwill messages by stakeholders from the two states and a cultural troupe performance were among the highlights of the event.
The traditional ruler from Ebonyi State where the celebration was held, His Royal Highness Eze Oketa Sunday, expressed joy over the development of peace among the two states.
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