Director General of the National Boundary Commission, Dr. M. B. Ahmad has lamented that the Commission has been underfunded for a long time, thus limiting its capacity to carry out its constitutional mandate. Dr. Ahmad, who briefed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday said that the Commission also faces the challenges if straddling settlements, re-establishment of destroyed/missing boundary pillars as well as demographic movements with the emergence of new settlements, among others.
He told the Vice President that the Commission has been able to intervene in many internal boundary disputes in the country. They include states like Jigawa/Kano, Kaduna/Kano, Kaduna/Katsina, Kaduna/Plateau in the North and other areas in country.
The Director General said that the Commission is in-charge of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission (NNJC); Nigeria-Benin Joint Commission (NBJC); Nigeria-Benin Joint Technical Committee on Delimitation; Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC); Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) and the ECOWAS/Cross River Initiatives (CBI).
Other function of the Commission, Dr. Ahmad said, include intervening and dealing with any boundary disputes that may arise between Nigeria and any of her neighbours with a view to settling it.
The Commission also intervenes, determines and deals with boundary dispute that may arise among states, local government areas or communities in the federation with a view to settling them, he added.
Meanwhile, Professor Osinbajo said that the federal government will explore ideas on how relevant agencies can collaborate and coordinate effectively to deal with smuggling activities along the borders of Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.
The Vice President gave an indication that the Boundary Commission, the Nigeria Customs and the Immigration authorities could work together to tackle the problem of smuggling.
Such coordination, he added, would be useful “identifying actual points where smuggling is taking place.”
He expressed appreciation to the work and the detailed presentation of the Commission, even as expressed the desire to see more collaboration among relevant government agencies and called for a plan in that direction.
Vice President is the Chairman of the Boundary Commission’s Board. [myad]
