Boje/Nsadop Communities Embrace Peace, Commend Catholic Church’s Role

By Omini Ikpi

The Catholic Church in Ogoja Diocese, North of Cross River is receiving high marks for the role she has so far played in getting the Nsadop and Boje communities in Boki LGA of the state to come to the round table and work for peace, four years after a land dispute between both communities led to the destruction of farm land, property and the loss of around 30 lives, www.calitown.com can reveal.

Representatives of both communities who met last week at the instance of the diocese’s Justice, Development and Peace Commission, JDPC, while agreeing to forge ahead and embrace peace, thanked the Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Ogoja, Bishop John Ayah for tirelessly working for the restoration of peace in the area. Ayah who was physically present at the meeting expressed appreciation for the level of co-operation the Rev. Fr. Titus Ede led-JDPC, has received so far while praying that both communities will show commitment in pursuing peace and reconciliation.

All present at the meeting further took the Cross River State government to task on what to do to restore peace and security in the area. They specifically called on government to properly demarcate and survey the disputed piece of land, create a buffer zone on it, as well as develop it to discourage any form of encroachment on the land.

Rev. Frs Hyacinth Inyang, Paschal Ngang and Titus Ede, accompanied Bishop Ayah to the meeting which received support from the Ben Otu Foundation. It will be recalled that the bloody conflict of Saturday October 23, 2010, between both communities and the level of hostility and carnage on display, alarmed a large section of Cross Riverians and others.