Abia, landowners agree on airport project, form joint committee
Abia State Government and land owners of the proposed Abia Airport project have agreed on certain grey areas and unveiled a joint technical committee on the project.
This followed a crucial meeting between the state government and community leaders, village and compound heads of land owners and technical team of the Nsulu Land Owners Forum of the proposed Abia Airport Nsulu held Thursday at Government House Umuahia.
In a communique signed by Chief of Staff to Governor Alex Otti, Caleb Ajagba, for the government and Rt. Hon. Uzor Azubike for the Nsulu Airport land owners and read by the leader of the Nsulu Airport land owners Rt. Azubike said the government and Nsulu people agreed to work together to agree on any concern that may arise in future in the course of executing the project including, but not limited to further reducing the land size.
The land owners team expressed concerns about the impact of the project on their community including displacement and loss of livelihood and appealed to the government to consider further reduction of the land size for the airport project.
The Nsulu landowners equally appealed to the state government to allow the land owners to continue to farm on the acquired land until the government starts actual development on the land.
Both parties further agreed that the Memorandum of Understanding would be drafted to guide all the parties for the duration of the project as it concerns what the host communities would benefit from the project upon completion, while the government assured land owners of transparency in its undertakings with them as well as promising to pay adequate and full compensation while involving the land owners in the project development process.
The Nsulu people in the communique commended President Bola Tinubu for approving an airstrip for the state and lauded Otti for upgrading the airstrip to an airport and choosing Nsulu for the proposed Abia Airport project.
According to the communique, the joint enlarged government/ Nsulu Airport land technical committee has the Chief of staff to the governor, Caleb Ajagba leading the government team while Rt Hon Uzor Azubike would lead the Nsulu Airport land owners.
Other members of the committee include Ginger Onwusibe, Collins Iheonunekwu, Amb. Innocent Uruakpa, Chaka Chukwumerije, Hon Chimezie Ukaegbu, Matthew Ekwuruibe, Okorougo Aji, Mr Uduma Nmong, all members of the technical committee of land owners forum for Nsulu Land Owners Forum for Abia state, community village heads of host communities, Councilors representing wards in the host communities, traditional rulers in the host communities, and one compound representative for each of the compounds of land owners.
In their speeches during the meeting, the Member representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Ginger Onwusibe and the member representing Isiala North State Constituency, Ugochukwu Iheonunekwu appreciated the government for engaging the real land owners and urged the government to pay attention to certain concerns raised by the people.
Earlier, Ajagba stated that the meeting was significant as it involved the owners of the land identified after the government had reduced the size of the land from the original 1,800 to 1,325 hectares.
He said that all their agitations were manageable and described Otto’s government as a fair and considerate government that listens to its people.
