By Tony Icheku 



Communities in Umuezenta, Umuomainta Nbawsi Nsulu in Isiala-Ngwa North LGA of Abia State on Saturday turned out enmasse to protest against the siting of an airport in some portions of land in their communities, lamenting  insensitivity on the part of Abia State Government and  expressing  dissatisfaction with the State government’s plans. They further expressed concerns over land ownership, displacement, and lack of prior consultation.


Ajagba surrounded by the protesters 


They argue that the project threatens their ancestral lands and livelihoods, demanding transparency and dialogue before  further action.  The protesters who defied the presence of  security operatives, including men and officers of the Nigerian Army; The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and  Police, affirmed that no previous meeting had been held between the communities and government 


The Chief of Staff to Gov Otti, Mr Caleb Ajagba who was at loss over the development rather than offer rational explanations attempted to offer money to the angry women protesters, but they vehemently turned their backs him. Ajagba who was hurriedly summoned to the community appeared disoriented and agitated by the development and  appeared to be rattled by the magnitude of the protest. However, he could not offer rational explanation why the airport project abandoned the land earlier apportioned for it. In over 45 minutes of interaction with the protesters Ajagba simply attempted to bribe them  as he later split the groups into women, youths and men. Ajagba further snubbed newsmen who attempted to speak with him on the development 


The protesters comprising  women, men and youths from the eight communities already identified by Otti as the site for the proposed airport trooped  out in large numbers with cassava leaves among others, chanting war songs and demanding that  Abia State Governor Alex Otti revert to the earlier site appropriated by former governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for the airport project. 


The protesters subsequently blocked  officials from the State Ministry of Lands escorted by a truckload of police and officers of the Nigerian Army from carrying out any activity around the area.


Speaking on behalf of other Villages Heads, the village head of Umuezenta, Mr Ukaumunna Echezolam, corroborated the views of the angry women, men and youth, lamenting that Nsulu is already overburdened with several government projects which had turned out to be white elephant projects including the Games Village, the Ntigha Dry Inland Port all which had annexed  chunks of farming lands from the communities without attracting appropriate development to the communities.  


Echezolam further lamented that the consensus from affected landowners who were directly affected is that government appears to be acting with ulterior motives .


"What happened to the large expanse of land already contributed for the project by three LGAs which were without encumbrances!", he queried.


He added that so far the Abia Government has never directly interacted with the affected communities, but  handpicked certain persons to push an agenda which he described as contradictory and unclear to the people.


Dailyledger.ng.com reports that Gov. Otti had on May 24  2024 announced his administration’s decision to actualise the Abia Airport dream. He had reportedly said then  that land for the project had been located and the owners reached for the timely take-off of the project, assuring that his administration “will take the lead in ensuring that the ambition for an Abia Airport comes to fruition as soon as possible”


He said then that: “One important thing about an airport is its location, and we have zeroed in on the place we are looking at the moment. We didn’t just identify the location; We went the extra mile to identify the owners because it’s a huge parcel of land. We have already started a meeting with them”


Echezolam however maintained  that  the government of Abia State had been working with youths leaders for discussions on the land and argued that there is no way youths can have a say in issues that concerning land, when their fathers are very much alive, stressing such move casts questions on the sincerity of government. He nonetheless noted that even though the right persons were not met ab initio, it would still not appease the communities because they have weighed the pros and cons, stressing that it means forfeiting their ancestral lands and only source of livelihood as they were all farmers 


He decried that there has never been any dividends of democracy  to the communities since the dawn of the current dispensation  till now despite the fact that current Chief of Staff to Governor,  Ajagba’s maternal home is Umuezenta Nsulu, the communities have remained sidelined.


He noted that as an agrarian community, they cannot afford to forfeit their lands meant for agricultural activities, stressing that it is against the various admonitions of the Federal and State governments urging people to return to farming 


Speaking on whether the community will reverse its decision if the right persons from the community are met in this regard, Echezolam reiterated that there is no compromise, insisting that the airport so proposed will not automatically place food on their tables just as he pointed out that farming has sustained them for years and even if the government pays compensation for their farmlands, it would be peanuts.


He specifically urged Gov Otti, to jettison the idea of using any land belonging to the Nsulu communities for  the airport project saying that in places and States where airports are sited, they have not seen much development or progress made by these communities.


Others who pleaded anonymity urged the Otti administration in Abia to look elsewhere contending that they were tired of giving out their lands, while poor infrastructure, including poor road network continue to be their portion 


Dailyledger.ng.com reports that the administration of former Governor Theodore Orji (2007 – 2015) had approved an airport for the State and acquired the site, while his successor, Ikpeazu, even appropriated N10 billion for its commencement as reportedly approved by the then State House of Assembly.


The project was aborted after  State’s traditional rulers urged  Ikpeazu to reconsider as the project has low priority ratings, Ikpeazu accepted their advice and the approved N10 billion funds were  channeled to other projects like roads.


Otti, who resurrected the Abia airport project, spoke,   during a reception of  a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Aviation led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Meribeole, of    his desire to see an Abia airport standing by 2025


He described the project as an airstrip for the State and accommodated in the 2024 Federal Government's budget.