The National Boundary Commission (NBC) says it is addressing concerns of communities affected by boundary alignment and resolutions through its Resettlement Project.
By Philip Yatai
The National Boundary Commission (NBC) says it is addressing concerns of communities affected by boundary alignment and resolutions through its Resettlement Project.
The NBC Director-General, Mr Adamu Adaji, stated this on Friday in Abuja, while assessing the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after two years in office.
Adaji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) a number of communities were adversely affected during the definition and demarcation of disputed boundaries, especially international boundaries.
He explained that the resettlement project was designed to relocate people who live in areas that were being redefined or ceded as part of a boundary dispute resolution.
He added that the process sometimes involves relocating individuals and communities, providing compensation for lost property and livelihoods, and ensuring their socio-economic recovery.
According to him, this became necessary because sometimes the boundary line pushed them to the side of the neighbouring country.
“Most times we try to relocate the affected people back to the indigenous side, resettle them and provide them with basic amenities.
“Though the Border Community Development Agency also intervenes but before they step in, we have to properly get the affected people resettled as Nigerians that have been affected by the boundary alignment.
“We resettle them, providing the basic needs of perhaps boreholes, solar lights, and perhaps basic amenities of market stores and other basic amenities.
“When they are settled, the other agency will now continue to assess their needs and provide what is required.”
He said that the goal was to make the affected people and communities to have a sense of belonging and feeling that yes, they were Nigerians and their country is making them feel comfortable.
He explained for the Nigeria-Benin border, the 1960 boundary description places some Nigerian communities in the Benin side and some few Benin communities on the Nigerian side.
Adaji said that for the ones that the commission had to bring back to Nigeria, like in the axis of Ogun State, the commission had provided some basic amenities to make them comfortable.
“The Gamuye community for example, some of them have been relocated back to Nigeria in the Kwara State sector, and we have provided them with facilities like market stalls, schools, and boreholes.
“In many cases where you find foreigners that fall on the Nigerian side, they are happy to say they want to remain on the Nigerian side, but our Nigerians would be glad to want to come back to settle within the Nigerian side,” he said.
He also said most of the communities that were affected by the judgement of the International Court of Justice over the Nigeria Cameroon boundary dispute in the Bakassi area have been resettled.
He said that the people who chose to come back to Nigeria have been significantly relocated and settled.
“For those who decided to stay in the Cameron territory because of their economic activities, the commission had given them necessary support and made sure that their rights and privileges are secured,” Adaji said.
Noting that the challenge of getting the affected people to fully cooperate with NBC, the D-G said that continuous sensitisation of affected communities was helping to get the people to work with the government to address their concerns. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)