Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to achieving a peaceful, lawful and technically sound demarcation of the Edo–Kogi interstate boundary.
The governor made the pledge through his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, at a meeting convened by the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surv. Adamu A. Adaji. The meeting included representatives of the affected states and federal technical agencies to review progress and facilitate the resumption of the stalled boundary monumentation exercise.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Patrick Ebojele, the administration reiterated its commitment to the mutually agreed boundary alignment endorsed in 2006.
The statement also indicated that the NBC reaffirmed key positions supporting Edo State’s stance on the peaceful and lawful resolution of the interstate boundary dispute. It described the 2006 agreement as a significant milestone that provides a solid legal and technical foundation for concluding the demarcation process.
According to the statement, “The meeting acknowledged Edo State’s constructive engagement and sustained cooperation with federal authorities in advancing the resolution process.
“The technical briefings presented at the meeting confirmed among others that the Internal Boundary Technical Committee (IBTC) approved the Edo/Kogi boundary in 2006 using Legal Notice 126 of 1954.
“Both states had earlier adopted the mutually agreed boundary alignment. This includes the monumentation commenced in 2007 before being disrupted by community resistance in some sectors.
“These confirmations reinforce Edo State’s long-standing position that the boundary framework already exists and only requires completion of the monumentation process.
“The resolutions reached at the meeting further strengthened the pathway toward final demarcation.
“Notably this includes that the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission will provide Edo State with large-scale maps of the agreed boundary.
“Edo State will undertake targeted enlightenment and sensitization of affected border communities in collaboration with traditional institutions.
“The Federal Government and the states will jointly identify pillar sites ahead of full resumption.
“Adequate security will be provided to ensure smooth field operations.”
The meeting marks another step toward resolving the long-standing boundary dispute, with federal and state authorities reaffirming their commitment to completing the monumentation process in accordance with established legal and technical frameworks.
