By Suleiman Anyalewechi
There appears to be no end in sight to the festering disagreement between the Abia State Government and host communities of the proposed site for the State’s Airport Project.
The Source reports that the Federal Government had made provisions to build an airstrip for the State in the current fiscal year.
But the State authorities had thought it wise to collaborate with the centre to upscale the project to a full fledged airport.
A well thought out idea it seems. But failure by the authorities to carry along the host communities has continued to ensure delay in the commencement of the laudable project.
At the centre of the seemingly intractable problem is the small matter of how to adequately compensate the host communities, the actual size of the land to be given, and the return of the portion of land acquired by the previous administration for the same purpose.
From the onset, the host communities had raised concerns over the Government’s intention to seize from them an estimated 1,025 hectares of land afresh without discussing how to return an earlier large portion of their arable farmland acquired for the now botched similar project during the immediate past administration.
The former Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu had acquired a large expanse of land from same coalition of Nsulu Communities of Isialangwa North council of the State.
However, as the administration was later to explain, the Abia Airport project,was to be jettisoned for a more necessary endeavour .
Yet, the already acquired large portion of farmland from the communities were never returned to them.
That remained the case ,when same Abia State Government came calling for yet, another acquisition last year, a development that expectedly ignited anger and disenchantment among the host communities.
Severally and collectively the affected host Communities had insisted on the return of the former land acquired before another will be given. A fair and plausible position it appears.
The uncompromising position of the host communities was to force the Government to establish a high powered Committee to engage all stakeholders on the best ways possible to resolve the impasse .
At the head of the Committee ,was and still is ,Governor Alex Otti’s Chief of Staff, a son of the soil Dr Caleb Ajagba
On Friday March, 28, 2025, the Committee gleefully announced that all grey areas have been amicably resolved between the Abia State Government and the host communities .
Dr Ajagba informed that following the peace pact, work has commenced on the clearing of access road to the airport’s runway.
Ajagba, who was at the project site to witness the commencement of work expressed happiness over the final take off of the project.
Speaking with the Media, Dr Ajagba also highlighted the joy and excitement among the host communities, in contrast to the earlier narratives by some people indicating opposition to the project.
“You can see that contrary to the wrong notion being dished out, the Nsulu Community is receptive to this very important project .
“You can see for yourself that the notion of rejection is wrong. It is not correct. Many host communities have received their compensations, and you can see joy with everybody happy” Ajagba stated.
Curiously, barely 48 hours after Government’s announcement of the resolution of the disagreement, the host communities on Sunday, March 30, distanced themselves from the position of the State authorities.
A statement from the Nsulu landowners accused the State Government of deliberately disobeying a subsisting court order by commencing work on the airport project.
“The Abia State Government has commenced the clearing of the access road leading to the runway of the proposed Abia Airport in Nsulu, despite an order of an Abia state High Court, ordering the State Government to stay further action on the project pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice by Nsulu Landowners.
“Recall that the Alex Otti’s Government was stopped by a State High Court sitting in Okpuala Ngwa which ordered the State Government to stay further action on the project over its plan to seize over 1,025 hectares of land belonging to some Nsulu communities.
” Trial Judge, Justice Enyinnaya Okezie, had on December 20, 2024, made the order, following the suit by representatives of the host communities .
” At the hearing of the suit No.HIN/62/2024, the host communities were represented by their lawyer, while C O Ogwo ,Acting Director Civil Litigation Department, Abia State Ministry of Justice,appeared for the respondents ( Abia state Government).
“Justice Okezie had ordered inter alia: “It is hereby ordered as follows: That C.O, Ogwo undertakes that action in respect of the subject matter in this suit shall be stayed till the motion on notice is determined”, the Landowners statement reads in part.
The landowners expressed regret that the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Dr Ajagba has moved bulldozers to the airport project site without any regard to the restraining court order.
According to them, it portends danger for the interest of the State, for the Government to be seen as lawless in its actions and operations.
“Such open and brazen disdain and disregard for rule of law ,has the potentials to drive away investors ,who may be tempted to see Abia State as a jungle”, the landowners noted
They, therefore, called on well meaning Abians and Nigerians as a whole to prevail on Governor Otti, and his aides to respect a valid court order.
The landowners insisted that no agreement of any kind has been reached between them and the authorities, contrary to the claims by the Governor’s Chief of Staff.
“Of more concern to the host communities is that an agreement has not been reached with the landowners,on the actual land size they are giving away by way of a Memorandum of Understanding MoU, the technical details of the impact of the project on the peoples’ health, and survival by way of Environmental Impact Assessment EIA by relevant Health Ministry has not been disclosed, while Government is going around with its handpicked friends it wants to impose on Nsulu landowners as leaders and representatives”, the host communities stated.
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