Abia State House of Assembly has mandated its Committee on Boundary Adjustment and Security, Office of the Deputy Governor, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Ukwa East Local Government council to wade into a land matter between the people of Azumini Ndoki Ukwa East Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State and Ika LGA of Akwa-Ibom State to forestall communal crisis in the area.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa who gave the charge during plenary today, following a matter of urgent public importance raised by member representing Ukwa-East State Constituency, Hon. Lewis Chinaemerem Obianyi, said the matter is capable of causing restiveness and crisis between the two neighbours if not carefully handled.
He, therefore called on the relevant government authorities in the State to look into the matter critically and ensure peace and normalcy are restored.
Earlier in his presentation, Hon. Obianyi, had disclosed to that his constituents drew his attention that the people of Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, that share borders with Azumini Ndoki, encroached into the land belonging to the people of Ndoki and graded over Five kilometres road and destroyed economic crops and farm produce in the area without any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Abia and Akwa-Ibom states.
The former Executive Chairman, Ukwa-East LGA, noted that he had earlier visited the Traditional Ruler of Azumini Ndoki, Eze Prof. Ebere Eule on the matter, who admitted that some delegates from Akwa-Ibom had informed him of an inter-state road construction project to be handled by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), but was asked to produce relevant documents for sighting which they could not.
He said that the authorities of Akwa-Ibom State government hastily moved into Uzo-nta in Azumini Ndoki and has so far graded about Five Kilometres of the roads.
Hon. Obianyi alleged that it was deliberate and full of ulterior motives.
He cited that similar matter happened between the people of Akirika-Obu Ndoki and their Akwa-Ibom State neighbour, which they had attempted to cede the Ndoki community to Akwa-Ibom State, adding that the matter is yet to be settled in Court.
He, however, prayed for the speedy intervention of Abia State House of Assembly and other relevant authorities in the State to formally wade into the matter to interface with authorities of Akwa Ibom State government for proper documentation, adding that their intervention would avert unnecessary violence and youth restiveness in the area.
Lending his voices in support of the motion, the member representing, Ukwa-West State Constituency, Hon. Goddy Adiele, noted that matter between the people of Ndoki and their Akwa Ibom State neighbors had been recurring for several years and therefore called on immediate action by the State government.
In his remark, the Deputy Speaker, Abia state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie who frowned at the development, expressed hope that Gov. Alex Otti-led administration would take concrete steps to ensure the right thing is done as well as protect lives and property in Azumini Ndoki.
