By Tony Icheku 


All is now for a possible showdown between the rural farming communities of Umunna Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North LGA as Abia State Government forcefully moves in to appropriate their farmlands for the construction of the proposed Abia State Airport.



The community leaders contend that if Government is a continuity what has happened to an earlier location carved out from three LGAs and given a certificate of occupancy under a previous administration for the proposed airport 


The Abia State Government says the project will be flagged off and inaugurated by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo on Tuesday December 17, 2024 in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, where it says it has secured a location for the project.


However,  contrary to Abia State government propaganda machine, the residents, comprising the landowners from all the eight communities in Nsulu where the proposed Abia Airport have vowed to resist the siting of the airport on the recently acquired location citing lack of proper consultation amongst other reasons. 


To register their anger anew, the women of the communities on Monday December 9, 2024,   took their protest to Umuomainta, Nbawsi in Isialangwa North LGA of Abia State when they got wind that a government delegation would be visiting the community 


The protest followed a scheduled meeting between  Abia State Government team led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr  Caleb Ajagba and representatives of the eight communities from where  land for the proposed airport had been been excised 


The  people of the eight communities maintain that they would not give further lands to the Government arguing that under the administration of former governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the communities donated land for the proposed airport and a certificate of occupancy was acquired for it.


Thus when meeting was proposed for Women Development Hall, Umuomainta, the women in their large numbers with green leaves and placards, stormed the  venue chanting war songs and other songs expressing their anger over the proposed intention of government to deprive them of their livelihood by forceful takeover of their farmlands.


The women expressed their feelings on their placards with words like: "The Women of Umunna  Nsulu are asking the government of Abia State to leave their Farmland alone". They argue  that hunger will kill them if they allow the State Government go ahead with the extension.


Some angry women of the communities who spoke to newsmen, said they need schools, good roads and better welfare for their children, maintaining that the airport project will not place food on their tables. They unequivocally stressed that initial lands have been earmarked for the project, and urged  the Abia State Government to make use of the one already allocated for the project and leave their farmlands.


They reiterated that farming is their only occupation and they use the proceeds from farming  to train their children, just as they stated that they do not need compensation as it will only offer a short lived relieve.


They further accused the security operatives who came with Chief of Staff to the Governor of Abia State,  Caleb Ajagba, of harassment and intimidation 


Even the youths indigenes of Umuomainta Nbawsi, including students, voiced their opposition to the Airport project, emphasizing that they have a  Grammar School Nbawsi, Nsulu Games Village, begging for infrastructural rehabilitation and urged the State government to fix these dilapidated structures and forget the Airport project which they described  as an elitist fantasy, explaining that as they are predominantly peasant farmers how can they  afford N350,000 to board a plane, pointing out that they need employment opportunities, good roads and  pipe borne water among others.


Some of the women described the government as being petty by threatening them that she will not fix their roads if they do not allow them construct the Airport in Umunna Nsulu.


The village head of Umuezenta, Ukaumunna Echezolam, added  that the proposed project threatens the community’s ancestral lands and primary livelihood—farming.


He however reminded the government of past sacrifices made by the Nsulu communities, including providing land for the Nsulu Games Village and the Ntigha Inland Dry Port.


Also speaking, another indigene of Umuomainta Nbawsi, Ike Nwoko Nwogwugwu, stated that he is not against the siting of an airport in the area but wondered what has happened to the former lands at Nsulu, Ikputu, Umuode, Ikwuano already donated for the project.


He said the communities are already feeling frightened by incessant talks about the airport, adding that as agrarian communities, they rely heavily on farm produce, wondering what becomes of their future and that of their children if they are deprived of their only means of livelihood


Nwogwugwu alleged that there is no sincerity in the quest for lands to build airport just as he alleged that they are looking for lands to share among themselves, stressing that those having secret meetings with the representative of Government, do not have piece of lands in earmarked areas


Dailyledger.ng.com reports that the Abia State Government announced a partnership with the Federal Government in July 2024 to construct an airport in the State. This was after the Federal Government announced its intention to construct a helipad in the State 


It was gathered that the Abia government rather than engage the appropriate landowners entered into dialogue with its local party officials most of whom had no stake in the earmarked portions of land.


As early as May 2024, Gov Otti had claimed that: “One other important thing about airport is location, so we now zeroed in on the place that you are looking at, at the moment. We didn’t just identify that location, we went the extra mile of identifying the owners of the land because it is a huge parcel of land. We had already started engaging with them,” this was when the community were not even briefed about the development. From that time till now, not one interaction had been held with the communities.


It was gathered that Ajagba made spurious claims when he told newsmen that he led the government team that interfaced with the leaders of the community, as such meeting was only held with a select few who had no stake in the land being annexed.