The Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof Paul Nwobasi, made the government’s position known while addressing journalists in Abakaliki on ongoing efforts to resolve lingering land and boundary disputes across the state.
Nwobasi decried a growing trend where some individuals allegedly mislead unsuspecting members of troubled communities into contributing money under the guise of prosecuting communal conflicts, only to divert such funds for personal enrichment.
According to him, such practices not only prolong disputes but also undermine genuine peacebuilding efforts by the state government.
He, however, noted that despite these challenges, the ministry has recorded significant progress in resolving several long-standing conflicts, including those in mining and agrarian communities.
“When I assumed office in July 2025, I met a catalogue and avalanche of disputes. Through sustained dialogue, mediation, and fact-finding, we have been able to resolve many of them,” Nwobasi said.
He listed some of the communities where peace has been brokered to include Nduakparata and Nduezeoke, Abomege and Ishinkwo, as well as Ose Edda Ndukwe and Okporojo.
He added that the ministry also intervened in disputes in Nkalaha, Umuogodoakpu, and Ezza-Nkalaha through strategic engagements with stakeholders.
“We have had serious meetings and mediations. We encourage people to speak the truth because it is only through truth that lasting solutions can be achieved,” he stated.
The commissioner further disclosed that the government has successfully addressed disputes that have lingered for decades, with some cases dating back over a century.
“Some of these land disputes date as far back as 1913. There are cases that have lasted over 90 years, and even those with historical court judgments. We are committed to resolving them,” he said.
Nwobasi attributed many of the persistent conflicts in the state to issues such as migration, land grabbing, and outdated conquest ideologies, which he said have no place in a modern society.
“In the past, people engaged in conquest invading and occupying lands. That era is gone. We are now in a civilised society, and such actions are no longer acceptable,” he stressed.
He called on community leaders and residents to shun actions capable of igniting fresh crises and instead support government efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace.
The state government expressed optimism that with increasing awareness, education, and civilisation, the recurring challenges of land disputes and communal clashes would soon become a thing of the past in Ebonyi State.
