By Yemi Itodo
The House of Representatives, on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to establish a military zone in the boundary between Agila community in Benue State and Ngbo area of Ebonyi State, to curb the incessant communal clashes in the communities.
The lawmakers also urged the National Boundary Commission to identify and demarcate the actual boundary between these two states as it affects both communities.
This was consequent upon a motion brought before the green chamber by the Honourable Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo.
According to Hon. Agbo, who is the Chairman of House Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Spokesman of the Minority Caucus noted that: “there have been reoccurring communal boundary disputes between Agila Community of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State and Ngbo Community of Ohaukwu Local Government of Ebonyi State”, for over 33 years.
These protracted boundary disputes, according to the lawmaker, “were initially resolved in 1986, when Ebonyi State was yet to be created, as Ngbo community was then in Anambra State. The Military Governors of both Anambra and Benue states created a buffer Zone to be managed by the two states through a technical committee pending the final resolution of the boundary dispute”.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, said, “there have been several clashes between these communities which have led to the loss of lives on both sides, with a lot of people displaced from their homes as a result of the destruction of their houses and infrastructure, including schools, health facilities and even places of worship in both states. Indeed, several people have been killed in the internecine feud between the two communities”.
Agbo who is named the Moving Train posited that, since greater number of the affected persons are poor people, women, vulnerable people as well as productive farmers who had hitherto contributed hugely to the economy of Nigeria, the incessant crises have now under-developed Ado and Ohaukwu LGAs because the means of livelihood of the people have been destroyed.
“Schools are now permanently shut for fear of attacks. Aside the fact that they no longer go to their farms, the people now live in fear of being attacked” added Agbo.
The House therefore, called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to provide adequate security for the Boundary Commission to enable them effectively demarcate the boundary.
To open up the area for development, the House urged the Benue and Ebonyi State governments to jointly construct a road linking the two communities.
In the alternative, the House wants the federal government to link the Otukpo-Utonkon- Igumale-Agila road to Ekwassi Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government in Ebonyi State.
Reacting to the resolution of the House, Chairman, Ado Local Government of Benue State, Comrade James Oche, commended the Feed back lawmaker, Agbo for effectively representing Ado and hailed the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the entire lawmakers, for consensually passing the Agila/Ngbo crisis.
The Council Boss, who was present at the House of Representatives’ gallery in solidarity with the motion, said, if followed strictly, the resolution of the lower chamber would go a long way to bringing succour to the people of the area.
Oche said, the good people of Agila had suffered for too long on the account of these crises, adding that it was about time those who had been displaced returned to their ancestral homes.
While pledging to give logistics and other support to the government agencies coming to the area as a way of appreciating the Reps’ intervention; the Council Boss also appreciated Hon. Agbo for bringing the plight of his people to the front burner of national discourse for the first time.
