Dickson warns against politicisation of boundary issues

Category: News Published on Friday, 01 February 2013 05:00 Written by Chris Eze, Yenagoa

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has warned political and traditional leaders not to politicize issues concerning boundary demarcation between Bayelsa and Rivers States.

The governor gave the warning when officials of the National Boundary Commission and boundary committees of the two states visited him.

Governor Dickson, who expressed delight over the visit, assured that Bayelsa State would abide by the outcome of the National Boundary Commission’s delineation exercise guided by the Supreme Court judgement.

Describing the people of Bayelsa and Rivers States as inseparable, the governor said the misunderstanding arising from the boundary dispute predated the creation of Bayelsa State.

He expressed hope that with support and cooperation of both states, the commission would be able to resolve the matter amicably.

“It is not really a dispute but a long standing boundary misunderstanding between two clans of the Ijaws and we are ever conscious of that. So we will support the national institutions. Our duty as a government is not to denigrate national institutions but to support them,” he said.

Earlier, Director General of the National Boundary Commission, Dr. Bose Ahmad, appealed to both Bayelsa and Rivers States to allow the commission take necessary actions based on the subsisting Supreme Court judgement to resolve the boundary dispute.

“Let me use this opportunity to urge the relevant border communities to continue to maintain peaceful co-existence and understanding while all efforts are made by the governments both at the federal and state levels to expedite action towards a permanent resolution of the boundary dispute,” he said.