Deputy Governor, appeals to communities fighting over land to sheath swords

Sat, Jun 13, 2020
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Politics

NKEM Okeke, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State has appealed to the communities currently engaged in communal tussle over land to embrace dialogue in resolving the land disputes.

“The land is there and will always be there generation after generation, while we as humans will live and pass away, leaving the land,’’ Okeke said on June 11, while declaring open a one-day meeting of the Anambra State Boundary Committee, SBC.

“This is the first meeting of the committee this year. This ought to be more regular, but for some reason the state and indeed the entire world has been up in arms against Coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted lives.

“I want to passionately appeal that we use dialogue rather than combat in resolving disputes.

“It only takes patience and compromise by parties to a crisis to seek amicable settlement of disputes, many of which are inherited from our forebears.

“It is no use engaging in regrettable spilling of blood over mere land. You win some and lose some.

“In some cases, even where there are judgments and appropriate courts of law, we still have to come on ground to make concessions in the spirit of `live and let live’ to promote peaceful settlement of matters.

“There is no matter, too high for a roundtable to resolve. If we die feuding over land, it is only a 6X6 that is the entitlement of dead victims, where he or she gets for burial of their remains,’’ the Deputy Governor said.

“Please bear with the SBC; we shall strive to make this more regularly, as time and opportunity presents in the days and months to ahead,’’ Okeke pleaded.

The meeting of the SBC was last held in July 2019.

The meeting has representatives from drawn from statutory institutions, including the office of the Attorney, General, Lands & Surveys, Information, Police, DSS and the Immigration.

Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Chairman of Anambra State Council, led three other traditional rulers, from each of the three Senatorial Zones – Igwe Mike Idigo of Aguleri (North) and Igwe Emeka Ilouno of Ifitedunu Central.

The South was not represented as the Igwe C.C. Umeaniba, of Azigbo, who had joined his ancestors, had yet to be replaced on the SBC.

Igwe Achebe apparently not satisfied with seating arrangements, personally appealed to all in attendance to maintain social distancing.

He urged those, who did not don their face masks appropriately to wear them well in line with prescriptions of government and the health authority.

– Jun. 13, 2020 @ 16:45 GMT |

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