Benue/Taraba boundary conflict: Abounu advocates support for peace building strategies

Benue State Deputy Governor and chairman, Benue State Boundary Committee, Engr Benson Abounu has called on government at all levels and well spirited individuals to support peace and confidence building activities and strategies aimed at dousing tension and  resolving the numerous boundary conflicts in the country.

Engr. Abounu  who attributed the success of the Benue State Boundary Committee in managing the plethora of intra and interstate boundary boundary conflicts to its focused collaborative strategy of involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders from the conflict areas in the search for the resolution of the conflicts, called on states in the North Central to learn from the Benue example.

He said that in finding solutions to these conflicts, the government makes copious use of  the experience and presence of elites, traditional rulers, youths, and women from the areas involved, as well as  local government staff, members of the state security council and security agents.

Engr. Abounu spoke today at the Conference Centre, FCT Administration, Wuse, Abuja, venue of an interactive session of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) with states’ Boundary Committees of the North Central geopolitical zone.

He stated that Benue State has  been very active trying to resolve the various interstate boundary conflicts, particularly the Benue/Ebonyi, Benue/Nasarawa, Benue/Taraba and the Benue/Cross River boundary.

He however lamented that in a number of cases, the conflicts arose from transborder crimes that has little to do with boundary dispute, while what people see as Benue/Taraba conflict is nothing but the  result of the internal conflict in Taraba State between the Tiv and Jukun people of Taraba State.

He canvassed the separation of transborder crimes from boundary conflicts and their treatment as such, while boundary conflicts should be investigated and dealt with in line with alternative dispute management protocols.

Engr Abounu called for the border communities which are far from the nucleus of development to be integrated in development schemes of the federal, states and local governments through conscious efforts of budgetary provisions.

The meeting, which featured paper presentations by the Director-General, NBC, Surv. Adamu Adaji, the Director, Internal Boundaries, NBC, Dr. Richard Oji, and Prof. Ahmed Musa of the Federal University of Technology, Minna was graced by the FCT minister, Mallam Mohammed Bello and the Surveyor-General of the federation, Surv. S.A Taiwo.