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Village Heads of Host Communities in Nsulu, Isiala-Ngwa North LGA of Abia State have described as false that they were against the proposed Federal Government of Nigeria’s airstrip project proposed to be sited in their community.
Rising from a meeting on Wednesday, the Village Heads said: “What the people of Nsulu are fighting against is the desperate, fraudulent and forceful acquisition of Nsulu lands by the Governor Alex Otti-led Abia State Government”.
Addressing newsmen through Chairman, Village Heads of Host Communities after a meeting, Engr. Ikechukwu Uche, explained that the acknowledged land owners for the proposed site for Abia Airport had just met with the Abia State government team led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba and arrived at the incontrovertible conclusion that the so-called project is nothing but a desperate, fraudulent and forceful acquisition of Nsulu farm lands and homesteads.
He said, “It is on record that the Abia State government under former governor, Dr, Okezie Ikpeazu had acquired land for the same Airport project, wherein a Certificate of Occupancy was issued to the executors of the project . “It’s also on record that the site had already passed Environment Impact Assessment ( EIA ) and all the usual bureaucratic bottlenecks and resistance, fully resolved by both parties.
“In our meeting with Pastor Ajagba, Nsulu people raised concerns over the said land originally acquired and demanded reasons why it was abruptly abandoned for a new site, also within Nsulu land. We unequivocally made our concerns known to the Abia State government through the Chief of Staff, stating categorically that the original area had no encumbrances of residential buildings, while the new site chosen by the Otti’s administration is surrounded by home settlements. Unfortunately, the Abia State government, till this moment have failed to address our concerns or even enlighten us on why a new site has become inevitable”
Engr Uche further stated that the Abia Government proposed ‘Abia Airport’ appears to be a private enterprise as it’s proposed plans has provisions for a five star hotel; An airport; Housing Estate, a school and an Airforce base. As at the time of publishing this story, the Abia State government has not explained who is going to build the hotel, school and the housing estate. “Significantly, we have not entered into any Memorandum of understanding ( MOU ), which should have been the right step towards peaceful acquisition”, he asserted.
Engr Uche maintained that the Gov Otti-led Abia Government have failed to proffer cogent reasons for the acquisition of new site for the project, but have rather chosen to engage inconsequential representatives, with no stakes in the acquired land. He accused the Chief of staff, Pastor Ajagba and Pastor Okorugo Aji of misleading the Governor and urged for immediate disbandment of the team as they are not representing the government transparently.
Engr Uche noted that the government of Abia State finally decided to open up channel of discussion with Nsulu host communities stakeholders and land owners by convening a meeting which held on Thursday, January 3, 2025, at Umuezeukwu Nsulu, three weeks after the flagging-off of the project by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo. – a case of placing the cart before the horse.
According to him: “Further engagement was on Saturday January 9, 2025 at the office of Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Ajagba wherein some resolutions were reached which include amongst others:
“- That government should reduce the proposed acquired land area from the initial 1,800 hectares, in response to earlier concerns;
“- The communities expressed concerns about the project’s impact on displacement of their homes and loss of livelihood;
“- The Abia Government team agreed to work together with the community to address the concerns, including identifying real landowners, unbundling the airport project, and reducing the land size for acquisition if possible;
“- The government team further assured prompt payment of compensation and involvement of landowner communities in the development process
“- The discussion further explored the setting up of a joint team to work together to complete the survey and identify the actual land affected and their owners”
The landowners again accused the Ajagba-led Government Negotiations Team of bad faith, alleging that rather than revert to them on earlier resolutions reached, the Abia Government chose to open fresh discussions with certain ‘Nsulu host community stakeholders and land owners’ who have no land or stake in the acquired land.
“We, stakeholders and landowners of the proposed Abia Airport site in Nsulu, Isiala-Ngwa North LG hereby pledge our support for the earlier proposal by the Federal Government of Nigeria to site an airstrip in our community, but we reject in totality, the attempt to forcefully evict us from our ancestral homesteads and farmlands by Gov. Alex Otti and his agents.
“From their body languages and actions, the Gov Otti-led administration have failed to foster trust, thereby creating room for potential misunderstandings and future breach of peace and harmony in our community for their selfish purposes”
Apart from Engr Uche, others that attended the meeting include Gabriel Echoezolam – Village Head, Umuezenta Nbawsi; Chimaobi Ohaka, Village Head, Umuosu Nsulu and Isaac Frank, Village Head, Umulenwa, Nbawsi Nsulu
Others are: Ehilegbu Chidiadi; Charles Ozems; Iroegbu Iheanyi; Ikechukwu Obisie; Onyenkwere Obinnaya; Jaja Chinedu and Uche Ubani
Also in attendance include: Uwabukonye Ehumadu; Ahamefula Anaba; Ikechukwu Ochulo; Ikechukwu Ukaumunna; Osinachi Ebere; Chinazunanwa Nwogu; Samuel Chinwewuba; Uzoma Okiyi and several others.
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