The Abia State government and the land owners of the proposed Abia Airport project have reached an understanding on certain grey areas, as well as inaugurating a joint technical committee to further make progress on the project.
This was sequel to a crucial meeting between the Abia 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 at Government House Umuahia.
In a communique signed by Caleb Ajagba, Chief of Staff to the Governor, for the government and Uzor Azubike for the Nsulu Airport land owners, the government and Nsulu people agreed to work together and agree in any concern that might arise in future in the course of execution of the project including but not limited to further reducing the land size.
The land owners expressed concerns over 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.
They 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 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 them of transparency in its undertakings with them as well as promised to pay full compensations while involving the land owners in the project development process.
The Nsulu people in the communiqué 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 Abia Airport project and pledged their support and co-operation for the realization of the project
The joint enlarged government/ Nsulu Airport land technical committee has Caleb Ajagba, Chief of staff to the Governor, leading the government team while Uzor Azubike would lead the Nsulu Airport land owners.
Other members of the committee include; Ginger Onwusibe, Collins Iheonunekwu, Innocent Uruakpa, Chaka Chukwumerije, Chimezie Ukaegbu, Matthew Ekwuruibe, Okorougo Aji and Uduma Nmong. The list also include; 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, Ginger Onwusibe, member representing Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, and Ugochukwu Iheonunekwu, member representing Isiala North State Constituency, appreciated the government for engaging the real landowners and urged it to pay attention to certain concerns raised by the people.
Caleb Ajagba earlier in his speech said 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 the government of Alex Otti as a fair and considerate government that listens to its people.
Okorougo Aji, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands and Housing and project coordinator, Abia Airport, in his speech, explained the journey of the project so far and disclosed the processes of the land acquisition.
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