By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

LAGOS —  Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday inaugurated a 12-man committee on boundary disputes. The team is to handle all issues relating to intra and inter-state land conflicts with the aim of ensuring smooth reconciliation.

The committee is headed by the state Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah  Sosan, Secretary is Mr. Michael Ola Dawodu, and three non-government officials, Mr. Saidi Babatunde, Mr. Adekoya Adedapo and Chief Murphy Adetoro.

Others are Commissioner for Information, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Sasore; Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Francisco Abosede; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye; Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Olalekan Ifemade; Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Gbenga Ashafa and Surveyor-General, David Olatunbosun.

Inaugurating the committee at the State House Conference Room, Alausa, Fashola charged the members to enlist time tested principles of boundary delineation and work within the confines of the law to resolve boundary-related disputes.

He said conflicts were part and parcel of man’s existence, adding that the quest to acquire more assets would pitch brothers and sisters, state to state and local government to local government against one another, resulting in disputes.

His words: “The committee would resolve these conflicts amicably and give competitive opportunities to everyone to achieve his or her own objectives,” adding that the committee came at the right time as the 2011 elections in the country draw nearer.

Fashola said the delineation of the state into constituencies by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC, was likely to generate boundary related conflicts both within the state and neighbouring states.

“I read recently that some communities are saying they want to be part of Lagos State, while some feel that they have been wrongly aligned. These are some of the issues the committee would seek to resolve ahead of the elections,” he said.

He urged the members of the committee to put heads together and ensure constant communication and information sharing to achieve its set out objectives.

Responding, Sosan thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in the committee to serve the state, promising that they would give their best to carry out the assignment without fear or favour.