By Okwudiri Okafor, Umuahia
Abia State government and land owners housing the proposed Abia airport project have agreed on certain previously contentious areas in a bid to get the project off the ground.
Consequently, they have inaugurated a joint technical committee to make further progress on the project.
This followed a crucial meeting between the government and community leaders, village and compound heads of land owners as well as the technical team of the Nsulu Airport Land Owners Forum, held on Thursday at Government House, Umuahia, the capital of the South-East Nigerian state.
In a communique signed by Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, for the government, and Rt. Hon. Uzor Azubike for the Nsulu Airport land owners, and read by Rt. Hon. Azubike, the government and Nsulu community agreed to work together to agree on any concerns that may arise in future in the course of execution of the project, including, but not limited, to further reducing the land size.
The land owners’ team expressed concern over the impact of the project on their community including displacement and loss of livelihood and appealed to government to consider further reduction of the land size for the airport project.
The land owners equally appealed to the state government to allow them continue to farm on the acquired land until government starts actual development of the land.
Both parties further agreed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 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 the land owners of transparency in its undertakings with them.
It also promised 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 Ahmed Tinubu for approving an airstrip for Abia state and lauded Governor Alex Otti for upgrading the airstrip to an airport and for choosing Nsulu for the proposed airport just as they pledged their support and cooperation to actualizing the project.
According to the communique, the Joint Enlarged Government/ Nsulu Airport Land Technical Committee has Chief of Staff to the Governor as leader of the government team while Rt. Hon. Azubike leads the land owners.
In their speeches during the meeting , the lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North and South federal constituency, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, and lawmaker representing Isiala North state constituency, Hon. Ugochukwu Iheonunekwu, appreciated the government for engaging the real land owners and it to pay attention to certain concerns raised by the people.
Earlier, Pastor Ajagba stated that the meeting was significant as it involved the owners of the land identified after government had reduced the size of the required land from the original 1,800 to 1,325 hectares.
He said that all their agitations were manageable and described the government of Dr. Alex Otti as a fair and considerate government that listens to the people.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands and Housing/Project Coordinator, Abia Airport, Pastor Okorougo Aji narrated the journey of the project so far and disclosed the processes of the land acquisition.
Some land owners including, Mrs Kate Nnanna, Nneoha Roseline Orji and Mr. Martin Ajuonu, who also spoke, expressed joy that government had called to explain things to them, thus making them shun rumours even as they urged government to keep to its promise.
The meeting was attended by many dignitaries, including Commissioners and land owners from all the host communities and villages of Nsulu.
