Yobe Hosts Bauchi, Gombe, Other Stakeholders For Two-Day Interstate Boundary Meeting

H.E Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam has asked for participants at a two-day meeting on interstate boundary issues to be guided by the principles of fair play, objectivity, and impartiality in resolving boundary conflicts among and between communities.

The governor spoke today when the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) Dr. Muhammad B. Ahmad paid courtesies on him at the Government House in Damaturu at the start of a two-day meeting of stakeholders on resolving boundary conflicts between communities in Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe States.

"Officials and participants should ensure that whatever recommendations and resolutions are issued at the end of the meeting have been arrived at objectively having taken due cognizance of the facts on the ground", the governor said.

H.E Gov. Gaidam also recommended that a problem-solving strategy which "seeks to take into consideration all interests involved in a dispute in order to arrive at an acceptable settlement package" be adopted by the National Boundary Commision.

The governor said the state boundary committee has consistently applied the problem-solving method in addressing boundary issues among and between communities. He said the process also entailed engagement and consultation, mutual accommodation, contact and socio-cultural interaction which are achieved through enlightenment campaigns.

"This has assisted greatly", he said, "in promoting peace, harmonious co-existence and a feeling among border communities that they are all one and that the boundaries are meant for administrative purposes only".

The DG National Boundary Commission Dr. M.B Ahmad, on his part, commended H.E Gov. Gaidam for "exemplary leadership and commitment to the security of life and property in the state".

The "unrelenting effort of the Yobe State Government", the DG added in maintaining a cordial relationship with neighbors are "commendable and encouraging".

The DG explained that the over the course of two days, meetings on Bauchi/Yobe and Yobe/Gombe border issues will separately "review the status of the boundary and work out programme of activities to make further progress in the definition process" as well as "discuss further on the efforts to address the problems of claims and counter-claims by some border communities to sectors of the boundary".

Officials of the three participating states and those of the National Boundary Commission, as well as traditional and community leaders, have already started the meeting...

The Yobe State Boundary Committee is led by H.E Dep. Gov. Engr. Abubakar D. Ali.

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