•Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State
The federal government has disclosed a breakthrough in resolving the longstanding boundary dispute between Abia and Anambra states, with both governments agreeing on 15 kilometres of their 23-kilometre common boundary.
The progress was revealed at the Joint Meeting of Officials on the Abia/Anambra Interstate Boundary held in Awka, Anambra State, reports The Guardian.
Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, said the agreed section had been jointly traced and provisionally demarcated, while discussions were ongoing to resolve the remaining eight-kilometre stretch.
Adaji said the meeting reviewed recommendations from a Technical Meeting of Experts held on July 1 to identify practical and mutually acceptable solutions to outstanding issues.
He commended the governments of both states for pursuing dialogue and established legal procedures in resolving the dispute.
“The Commission remains committed to providing the technical, administrative and institutional support required to bring this process to a successful conclusion,” he said, expressing optimism that the renewed engagement would promote lasting peace, good neighbourliness and sustainable development in the affected communities.
Representing the Abia State Government, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Boundary Committee, Barr. Chijioke Nwankwo, welcomed the consensus on the 15-kilometre section and called for its immediate monumentation.
He insisted that the outstanding eight-kilometre corridor should be resolved in line with the National Boundary Commission’s procedures, historical records, technical field evidence and relevant Supreme Court judgments.
Nwankwo argued that maps produced by individual states should not form the basis for determining interstate boundaries, stressing that legal instruments and judicial pronouncements were essential to achieving a lasting settlement.
On its part, the Anambra State Government reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the dispute through peaceful dialogue, constitutional processes and the rule of law.
Representing the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Boundary Committee, Hon. Ekenechukwu Okoye, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Boundary Matters, said the welfare, peace and security of affected communities must remain the priority.
He expressed confidence that the technical expertise of officials, the goodwill of both state governments and the guidance of the National Boundary Commission would pave the way for a fair and mutually acceptable resolution.
The meeting also considered the report of the Technical Meeting of Experts, which reviewed documents submitted by both states, identified areas of agreement and proposed recommendations for concluding the boundary delineation process.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, both states reaffirmed their commitment to completing the demarcation of the entire boundary and requested the National Boundary Commission to expedite the process.
The Commission said it would continue working with the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and the governments of Abia and Anambra states to achieve a peaceful, lawful and permanent resolution of the interstate boundary dispute.
