A socio-political group, Nsulu Stakeholders Forum (NSF), has expressed shock over a statement by the Abia State Government that about 3,500 landowners affected by the proposed Abia Airport project in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, have been compensated, with assurances that outstanding payments would be settled once all indemnity certificates are completed.
The Abia State Government had, through the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, disclosed the compensation during a weekend fact-finding visit to the project site. Ajagba was accompanied by the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije; Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mr. Matthew Ekwuribe; and the Airport Project Coordinator, Pastor Okorougo Aje.
According to Ajagba, the visit followed complaints from some community members who claimed they were yet to be paid. He clarified that most of the unresolved cases were linked to account discrepancies or incomplete indemnity certificates, stressing that government remained committed to honouring all agreements with affected landowners.
However, in a swift reaction, the Nsulu Stakeholders Forum, through its Convener, Mazi Chigoram, dismissed the government’s claim as propaganda aimed at deceiving the public. The group accused the state government of attempting to seize the community’s land without following due process.
“It is sad that the Abia State Government has decided to resort to propaganda as a way of resolving the Nsulu land matter that the Otti administration is bent on taking over without due process,” Chigoram said.
He reminded the government that the matter is already before the Abia State High Court in Okpuala Ngwa, which, in December last year, directed that no further action be taken on the land until the case is determined. He also pointed out that another case is pending before a Federal High Court in Abuja, which has adjourned judgment on the matter until October 2.
The NSF Convener outlined the issues raised in court by landowners, including:
That the state government failed to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the site as required by the Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 1992, making the project unlawful and void.
That the award of the airport contract without subjecting the design and construction stages to an open and competitive bidding process, as stipulated in the Bureau of Public Procurement Act of 2007, is illegal.
That the Federal Ministry of Environment failed in its statutory duty to assess the land, which is prone to gully erosion, environmentally fragile, and densely populated with ancestral homes.
The group further alleged that government was mobilising party members and individuals from outside the project area to create the impression that genuine compensation was being paid.
“Ask the governor or his agents how much they are paying for land, economic crops and trees, water sources, burial grounds, and shrines belonging to our people. What is happening is that some individuals are being forced to sign indemnity forms, and those who received anything were paid as little as ₦100,000, regardless of the size of their land,” NSF claimed.
The group insisted that it was wrong for government to rush into land acquisition while matters were still before the courts. It warned that the people of Nsulu would not surrender their ancestral lands without exhausting all legal avenues, including appeals to the highest court in the country.
“You cannot take away people’s only means of survival and expect them to keep quiet. Our people must not fall for government propaganda. We are not against the airport project, but let the state government respect court processes and follow due process,” Chigoram said.
