By Sunday Ahgu
The Nasarawa State Government has suspended mining activities in Rafin Tabo, along the border between Wamba and Mama communities, to prevent breakdown of law and order.
State Deputy Governor, Doctor Emmanuel Akabe, gave the directive during a meeting of the high-powered committee constituted to look into boundary issues between the two communities in Lafia.
He said the decision to suspend mining activities along the border corridor to ensure the communities in dispute know their exact boundaries, hence the constitution of a committee having five representatives from each of the two communities to fashion out the best ways to handle the dispute.
The Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Committee, implored the two communities to maintain peace while the resolution lasts and gave the committee three months to work and submit its report for onward action.
Commissioner of the state Boundary Commission, Mr. Ladan Adokwe, noted that the constitution of the committee was sequel to complaints raised over the encroachment of Farin Ruwa land by the authorities of Wamba, which Governor Abdullahi Sule directed the boundary commission to look into the matter.
Other speakers including the Gom Mama, Mustapha Zubairu Adam, the Oriye Rindre, Retired Justice Lawal Musa Nagogo, Chairman of Wamba Ezekiel Jaga and the Farin Ruwa Area Council Administrator, Mohammed Bala, all affirmed that the increasing mining activities in the area was responsible for the land dispute and emphasized the need for decorum and peaceful resolution of the matter involving Mama and Wamba chiefdoms as well as other sundry border issues.
They equally sued for the physical demarcation of the boundaries in the locality by the state boundary commission to enable the disputing parties to know their land limits, calling for fairness in the exercise.
The meeting had in attendance the two Commissioners from Wamba local Government Area, the Chairman of the Council, the Farin Ruwa Area Administrator Council Administrator, and the Commissioner of the state Boundary Commission, among other stakeholders.
Edited by Binta Nuan
About The Author
