Ishaku, Ortom task deputies to quicken boundary demarcation

Taraba state governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku and his Benue state counterpart, Samuel Ortom have enjoined the deputy governors of both states, Haruna Manu and Benson Abonu to quicken the invitation of the National Boundary Commission to the States for effective boundary demarcation.

Governors Ishaku and Ortom who jointly stated this during a peace talk between the two states held during the week at the Youth Centre Hall, Ugba, headquarters of Logo local government area of Benue state noted that the exercise was aimed at maintaining a permanent Peace in both states.

Daily Times reports that the two deputy governors are saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring effective demarcation between both states, hence the need to urge them hasten the invitation of the leadership of the National Boundary Commission who will carry out the exercise.

According to our correspondent, before the commencement of the meeting in Ugba, Benue state, both governors together with their traditional rulers and security chiefs toured some crisis prone communities of Wukari, Kente, Arufu, Akwana and Ugba who fall in boarder areas of the States.

The two ethnic groups of Jukun from Taraba and Tivs from Benue and others who fall at boarder areas are always at loggerhead with each other hence the need to create a permanent peaceful coexistence between them.
Deputy governors Haruna Manu and Benson Abonu who are leaders of the committee were not only asked to hasten the exercise but were as well tasked to put aside any form of acts that would mar the success of the exercise.

Speaking, governor Ishaku admonished both the Jukun and the Tiv to know that they are brothers and sisters stressing that God has created them without seeking their consent.

Ishaku who believed that both ethnic groups must live together said, “If you are a Tiv man residing in Taraba State, you are my responsibility in the same vein, if you are a Jukun man residing in Benue, you are Ortom’s responsibility”.

Charging the people to respect “constituted authorities”, Ishaku opined that boundary demarcations are for administrative convenience.

Ishaku who took time to narrate the similarity between him and Ortom and the huddles they both passed through before ascending the number one positions of their various states,” God” according to him ” made us governors to be able to make sure that the Tiv and the Jukun live together hereafter.”

On his own part, Governor Ortom who was of the opinion that no ” meaningful development can take place without peace” charged the committee headed by the two deputy governors of both states to ” ensure a demarcation that will be free and fair so that our people can be in peace.”

Both governors as stated by Ortom decided to sign into law the Anti- Open Grazing Bill in order to put to an end the incessant killings of farmers which according to him had in recent past hindered the peace efforts of both states.

Noting that the ” law is not meant to be against any particular ethnic group” the ” Fulani” as made known by him ” are free to breed their cattle” but quickly added that ” the only thing that is prohibited is open grazing.”

Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo