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Members of Umuezenta and Umuelenwa villages in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North LGA of Abia State, have disagreed with the pronouncement by Governor Alex Otti that land owners in the proposed Abia Airport project to be sited in Nsulu have all been compensated.
Recall that Governor Alex Otti had during a civic reception on Saturday at Sam Ihesiulor Stadium, Okpuala Ngwa, said the government had paid all land owners in the Nsulu Airport Project except those whose lands are in dispute or those whose accounts have issues.
But addressing Journalists on Wednesday, the Village Head of Umuezenta Nbawsi and a land owner, Echezolam Ukaumunna, expressed shock at the statement made by the Governor, saying land owners from Umuezenta, Umuelenwa villages among others were yet to receive a dime from the State Government led by Governor Alex Otti.
He revealed to the press that none of the land owners from Umuezenta and Umuelenwa have submitted their account details for payment not to talk of having errors in their accounts.
Ukaumunna hinted that they have done the land enumeration, challenging the State Government to enlist the names of those that have been enumerated at their village halls for proper identification.
He also faulted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into by the government and these villages, saying it was not signed and looked like a document that dates back to 1921.
Ukaumunna used the opportunity to call on the world to know that they have not received a dime from the government.
“We just want to use this opportunity to let the world know that we have not received a dime from the government regarding the acquisition of our lands. Government should address this issue once and for all. When I had that pronouncement from the Governor, I was shocked and asked myself where and when did I receive the money without knowing that I have. It’s just unfortunate.”
He stated that they have not agreed anything with the government let alone receive payments, adding that the villages are also not being carried along in the sub-committees, insisting that Umuezenta and Umuelenwa villages have not appointed anyone to represent them at the negotiations and wondered if they were bringing politicians to negotiate with them.
Ukaumunna also alleged that the bulldozers that clear the paths for the construction of the airport, uproot their cassavas and pack inside the vehicles, asking if the government was developing the airport or stealing cash crops inside people’s farmlands. He also decried that no farming activity is going on in these villages despite being agrarian communities, saying they can’t farm unlike neighbouring villages.
In their separate responses, Helen Nwankpa from Umuezenta, Isaac Ndukwe Frank from Umuelenwa, Chimeazie Nwabuko, Chairman Umuelenwa village among others, decried the land grab by the Abia State Government in the name of building airport.
They faulted the comments by the Governor that they have all been paid except those whose lands are in dispute or other issues, contending that their lands were not in dispute and have not also submitted account numbers to warrant identifying problems in their account details.
The villages accused the government of not being sincere, saying some of them have five portions of land or more and were yet to receive compensation from government even as the farming season had commenced a long time ago.
They further called on the Abia State Government to desist from all propaganda and address issues raised so far, alleging that bulldozers pack cassavas uprooted from their farms, leaving them wondering if the State Government is sincere about building airport.
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