Ebonyi Assembly passes Boundary and Allied  Commission law

In its determination to stem the incessant land and boundary disputes in parts of  Ebonyi, the State  Assembly has passed into law a bill for the establishment of Boundary and Allied Matters Commission. 

The  passage of the bill was an outcome of Tuesday’s plenary held at the Assembly Complex, Nkaliki Road, Abakaliki, and presided by the Speaker, Right Honourable Moses Odunwa. 

According to the release by the Assembly’s Public Relation Officer, Sylvester Egede, the law is deemed to have come into force on 18th July, 2023, and is to be cited as the Ebonyi State Boundary and Allied Matters Commission (Establishment) and related matters Law 2023. 

Soliciting support for the bill, the Leader of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Kingsley Ikoro and the Chief Whip Nkemka Okoro Onumah, highlighted the importance of the bill, stating that the establishment of the commission was apt considering the regularity and the degree of intra and inter communal crises which has resulted in wanton killings and destruction of property across some local government areas of the state.

They respectively urged their colleagues to back the bill and ensure its accelerated passage  as a panacea to constant boundary and land related disputes across the state.

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Others who spoke for the bill,  including member representing Izzi West Constituency Hon. Godwin Abiri; Afikpo South East Constituency, Hon. Stephen Oji Igwe and the member representing Ezza South Hon. Friday Ogbuewu, among others, highlighted the many values the bill would add to governance in the state.

Abiri argued that the commission, if established, would define inter and intra local government area boundaries in the State in  accordance with the delimitation instruments or documents established for the purpose. 

Igwe and Ogbuewu in their submissions emphasised that the commission would  liaise with the state boundary committee of neighbouring states with a view to taking joint measures that would promote healthy inter community/ boundary relations. 

Furthering the argument on the imperative of the bill, the Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Arinze Lucas Chukwu, and the member representing Ebonyi North West,  Hon Aloysius Nwodo  opined that the bill would also  encourage and promote joint inter community development ventures among border dwellers as well as  evolve measures for joint utilisation of amenities along local government boundaries within the state. 

The bill which was exhaustively deliberated upon during the committee of the whole was unanimously passed by the members of the House after due corrections were made on it. 

Speaking shortly after the passage of the bill, Speaker Odunwa, while  stressing on its  importance, observed that Ebonyi, like other states of the federation, has had its share of communal conflicts resulting from border related issues.

He maintained that the Commission when established would serve as a utility partner in ensuring that such crises in the state is ameliorated as well as afford the administration of Governor Nwifuru more time and resources for all round development of the state.