Ebonyi community withdraws from boundary demarcation exercise

By Zika Bobby

The Ishinkwo autonomous community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has withdrawn from the ongoing boundary demarcation exercise with Abaomege community.

This decision followed allegations of bias and manipulation by the Demarcation Committee, led by Deputy Surveyor-General Henry Ekeroku.

In a statement signed by  Joseph Itumo, Ishinkwo Autonomous Community Town Union President and Chief Chukwuebuka Nwagu, President, Ishinkwo Autonomous Community in Diaspora, they said the decision became necessary following their discovery and conviction that the purported demarcation is a mere smokescreen designed by some to take over their land.

The statement reads in parts: “It all began from the very first day of the exercise. Rather than restrict itself to the gazetted swamplands in dispute, the Demarcation Committee overreached itself and ceded our interior ancient landmarks and sacred groves to Abaomege. We complained and called the attention of the state government to the development through the press, but no one listened to us.

“As the shenanigans festered, we requested the committee to grant our cartographer access to the gazetted Survey Map meant to guide the exercise to enable him assess compliance and advise us accordingly. This was refused.

“Our old mothers and grandmothers protested to the office of the governor and to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, but nothing changed. Instead, the land grabbing continued unabated, getting even worse with each passing day. 

“Our youths, numbering 26, were on May 8, 2014,arrested and are still being detained, on the orders of the Commissioner for Border Peace And Conflict Resolution. Their offence was watching with trepidation  bulldozers and excavators as they destroyed our Catholic Church and residential houses from our Ugwuonoko Primary School Field,where they had gathered to play football. This is no boundary demarcation, it is war against Ishinkwo by other means. .

“Finally, we infer that the murder of natural justice is the bane of the demarcation exercise. The Chairman of Onicha council, overseeing both communities is from Abaomege. He is also the supervisor of the demarcation project. It is a clear case of a man sitting in judgment in his own cause and over his enemy. Only by submitting to the aberration can anyone expect justice under such a circumstance.

“ We cannot continue to dignify the travesty with our consent and support. We cannot continue to sacralize the abominable. We hereby pull out of the compromised exercise and reject its outcome in its entirety.”