The Federal Government has waded into the bloody clashes that have left scores of people dead in Anambra and Kogi States’ border communities over oil deposits.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo on Friday presided over a meeting attended by representatives of the two state governments and the National Boundary Commission with a view to resolving the impasse and restore peace to the affected areas.
The meeting was held behind closed-doors inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting that a lot of progress had been made in an attempt to resolve the matter.
While saying that the NBC was tracing the boundary of the affected areas, Wada expressed hope that the issues would be resolved by the end of the year.
He added that every effort was being made to maintain peace and tranquillity in his state.
The Anambra State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nkem Okeke, said the resolution of the crisis was foremost on the mind of the governor, Willie Obiano, who he said wanted a quick end to the senseless killings.
Okeke said his state was pleased with the level of intervention by the Vice-President, especially with his directive to the NBC on the matter.
“I am here representing my principal, Chief Willie Obiano, who is unavoidably absent because of the burial of Prof. Dora Akunyili.
“I think this is one thing that is foremost on his mind to solve. Nobody wants senseless killings, killings for no reason. He sent me here to make sure that we get things moving, and I’m quite pleased with the meeting, with the way the Vice-President carried out the meeting.
“He gave directive to the National Boundary Commission to set a date to do all the necessary surveys and establish the boundary between us and Kogi State and I believe, in the near future, things will be sorted out,” he stated.
Okeke said the state government had been ensuring security presence in all parts of the state in order to ensure that people do not encroach on lands not belonging to them.
It could be recalled that the indigenes of two boundary communities of Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area and Echeme/Odeke in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State have been at loggerheads since 2012 when President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the Orient Petroleum Refinery located in Aguleri Otu.
