Bello inaugurates the Kogi State boundary committee

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has inaugurated a 15-man Boundary Committee chaired by the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja, tasking them to work towards ensuring lasting resolution of all lingering boundary concerns.

During the event which took place on Friday at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, the governor noted that setting up such a committee was a responsibility in a bid to maintain peace and security, knowing how notorious boundary conflict could be.

He recalled that before his administration, there were boundary conflicts with some neighbouring states, within the state and even amongst communities and clans. He, however, said that his administration had been able to maintain peaceful co-existence.

The governor asserted that despite sharing boundaries with over nine states, his government had come up with its own initiative to maintain peace.

He said that aside from the interstate meeting between Kogi State and the FCT in July, his government deemed it necessary to set up the Kogi State Boundary Committee drawing its legal backing from Section 24 (1) of the National Boundary Commission Act of 2006 which empowered state governments in that regards.

The governor revealed that a Director General would be appointed for the committee which would most preferably be a civil servant in a bid to ensure its smooth daily running.

In his response, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the committee thanked the governor for his sterling leadership which has allowed the state to weather trying times even as regards boundary conflicts and crises.

He assured that the committee members would utilize their wealth of experience to navigate all existing conflicts amongst boundary states asserting that their first task was the delineation between the state and the Federal Capital Territory which would commence on Monday and last for 21 days.