Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has inaugurated the State Boundary Commission Committee and Boundary Technical Committee with a charge to always consider the best interest of Ekiti people above personal interest.

The governor who restated that the loyalty of his government is to the people of Ekiti State whom the administration is out to serve, urged the committees to discharge their duties without fear or favour but with strict adherence to the rule of law.

Dr Fayemi, who inaugurated the committee at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office on Monday, said there are series of boundary disputes both inter State and intra-State waiting for the attention of the committees. He advised members of the committee to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution method without resort to court.

“I like to implore members of the inaugurated commission to see your appointment as a call to service, a call to etch your name on the sands of time in Ekiti and a call to be a part of history. You must discharge your duty without fear or favour but with strict adherence to the rule of law.

“In whatever you do, always consider the best interest of Ekiti State and Ekiti Kete far above your personal interest. Collectively we can build the society of our dreams and make Ekiti State the pride of all. We can only achieve this through selflessness”, he said.

The committee, according to Governor Fayemi is to, among other issues, deal with inter-local government boundary disputes with a view to resolving them; monitor trans-border relations with neighbouring states with a view to detecting areas of tension, possible conflicts and take necessary measures to address them, and to encourage negotiation on settlement of boundary disputes in preference to court action.

In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the State Boundary Commission Committee and Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi thanked the governor for the opportunity given the committee members to serve the State.

Egbeyemi noted that lives and properties have been lost to boundary conflicts; assuring that the committee will adopt a win-win approach to settling conflicts arising from boundary issues.

He solicited the cooperation of all communities in the State for the success of the committee in discharging its duties.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Komolafe had said that the non-existence of the committee for many years had resulted in many boundary disputes in some communities in the State.

He opined that with the constitution of the committee, disputed areas will be looked into and resolved as soon as possible.

The State Boundary Commission Committee which is headed by the Deputy Governor has the Commissioners for Finance, Works and Transportation, Agriculture, Information, Lands and Housing, and the Attorney General as members.

Other members are the Surveyor-General, the State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the State Security Service, Executive Secretary of the Boundary Commission, the Oluyin of Iyin, Oba Ademola Ajakaye, the Ologotun of Ogotun, Oba Samuel Oyebade, and two boundary experts – Surveyor Ayeni and Surveyor Akeredolu.

The Technical Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s office comprises Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Works, Finance, Agric and Rural Development, Justice, Lands and Housing, Director of Forestry, a representative of the Director of SSS, representative of the Commissioner of Police and the Executive Secretary of the Boundary Commission

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