BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly presided by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa has passed a bill for the establishment of Boundary and Allied Matters Commission into law.
The law deemed to have come into force will be cited as the Ebonyi State Boundary and Allied Matters Commission (Establishment) and related matters Law 2023.
Commenting on the bill, the Leader of the parliament, Kingsley Ikoro and Chief Whip, Nkemka Onumah said the establishment of the commission was apt given the regular and degrees of intra and inter communal crises that have resulted in the wanton killings and destruction of properties among the local governments of the state.
In his remarks, the member representing Izzi West Constituency, Godwin Abiri and Nwankwo Igu, representing Ohaozara East, argued that the commission if established would define and delimit inter and intra local government area and address council boundaries crisis in accordance with the delimitation instruments or documents established for that purpose.
Lending their voices, member representing Afikpo South East Constituency, Stephen Igwe and representative of Ezza South, Friday Ogbuewu said the commission will liaise with the state boundary committee of neighbouring states with a view to taking joint measures that will promote inter community relationship.
Also, the Deputy Whip, Arinze Chukwu and a member representing Ebonyi North West, Nwodo Aloysius were of the opinions that the bill would encourage and promote joint inter community developmental ventures among border dwellers and equally evolve measures for joint utilization of amenities along local government boundaries within the state.
Victor Nwoke, representing Abakaliki North Constituency, said the commission when established will identify and intervene in areas of potential disputes in the state.
After the passage of bill into law, the Speaker, Odunwa stressed the importance of the law, saying the state, like other states of the federation, has had its share of communal conflicts resulting from boarder related issues but maintained that the commission would serve as a utility partner in ensuring that boarder related crises in the state were ameliorated.
He said it would provide the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru ample opportunity for all round development and human empowerment.