The National Boundary Commission, NBC, has convened a stakeholder workshop on effective border management as a crucial step toward building a peaceful and prosperous society.
The event held in Bauchi state gathered key officials and community leaders to address challenges in border management and explore solutions for mitigating conflicts.
Delivering a keynote address, the Gombe State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Gombe State Boundary Committee, Manassah Daniel Jatau, highlighted the sensitive nature of boundary disputes.
Jatau likened land disputes to an “untrusted friend” that stirs conflict and even violence, saying people fight and die over it, yet it waits to have them buried in it.
He urged stakeholders to approach border issues with integrity, respect for historical context, and a commitment to peaceful resolutions.
Jatau called on the NBC to address existing challenges in demarcation, stressing the importance of placing boundary markers accurately to prevent future disputes.
“We must act in good time,” he warned.
Jatau said recent mineral discoveries could further complicate land delineation if proactive steps were not taken, but gave the assurance that the gathering of both Gombe and Bauchi states showed the dedication to maintaining territorial integrity without encroaching on each other’s land.
The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, affirmed the workshop’s significance, noting that it underscores the NBC’s commitment to border management for peaceful coexistence.
Mr. Jatau praised the event as an opportunity to share insights and strategies to address boundary issues that often trigger conflict.
He also highlighted the progress made in demarcating Sector One of the Bauchi-Gombe border and expressed optimism for continued cooperation in resolving Sector Two amicably.
The NBC Director-General Adamu Adaji, outlined the workshop’s purpose as a platform to share best practices in border management.
Mr. Adaji identified a lack of community sensitization, elite interference, and land ownership conflicts as primary drivers of border disputes, but that there was the need for a paradigm shift in handling such issues.
He encouraged states to establish local government boundary committees to support the NBC’s mission of peaceful border definition.
Goodwill messages were received from the Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Auwal Jatau, represented by Bauchi’s Commissioner of Lands, Hajiya Amina Ratawu, along with the Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Aminu Ahmed Alkali, and representatives from Plateau, Jigawa, and Yobe states, emphasized the need for cooperation among border communities.
They therefore called for urgent actions to finalize border demarcations to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.
PIAK
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