Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo at the groundbreaking ceremony 


Nsulu Village Heads and landowners of the proposed site for the Abia Airport on Saturday, 25th January, 2025 in an open letter to Abia State Governor Alex Otti again pledged their support for the proposed Airport project but maintained unequivocally that unless the Government Negotiation Team led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba and Pastor Okorugo Aji are removed, the project might remain mired in unnecessary confrontation, bickering and confusion


"His Excellency Sir, let it be on record again that " WE ARE NOT AGAINST THIS PROJECT". We have however identified the problem with the smooth implementation of issues raised and agreed by the Government Team, led by your Chief of staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba and Pastor Okorugo Aji.



"...we are miffed that  both men are working against the agreement reached in our meetings at Umuezeukwu Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North LG  on January 3, 2025 and a follow up meeting at the office of the Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba on January 11, 2025", the Village Heads and Landowners stated in the letter signed on their behalf by Engr. Ikechukwu Uche, Chairman of Umuezeukwu landowners; Mazi Gabriel Echozolam, Secretary, Umuezenta Nbawsi landowners and Mazi Chimaobi Ohaka, PRO, Umuosu Nsulu landowners.


They maintained that "It"s against the tenets of peaceful resolution that our team led by Dr. Max Nduaguibe agreed to work with the team led by the Chief of staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba in the presence of the Department of State Security ( DSS) and the State Commissioner for Police is now being undermined by the government team, led by Pastor Ajagba. " We consider this an affront to all the peace and orderliness established in both meetings and this is the ONLY REASON drawing us back"


Amongst other allegations, the landowners accused the Ajagba-led team of  embarking on divide-and-rule tactics and misleading the Otti's administration into unnecessary confrontation with rather peaceful host communities. 


The landowners argued that the reason Ajagba may not be helpful in the government project is because he is using the Airport project to empower and oil his political machinery as he is eyeing the State House of Assembly seat for Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency in 2027.


The landowners further argued that Ajagba has been engaging people that have no direct business with the project, christening them his Village Heads and Landowners in a bid to cause confusion in the community and between the government. They argued that as the land owners, they are supposed to be in the forefront in tracing the perimeter area of the project, but Pastor Ajagba and Aji prefers to use total strangers, while holding secret meetings in some villages like the ones held at Umuomaunta Women Hall and Ubaha Nsulu, neglecting their preferred TEAM


The landowners further affirmed that Dr. Max Nduaguibe was unanimously chosen by the Village Heads and landowners to lead their negotiation team, explaining that besides being a  land owner, Dr Nduaguibe is a respected elder statesman and legal practitioner. They added that to their chagrin, the Ajagba team is working hard - in - glove with few of his foot soldiers from Nsulu to launch a ferocious media campaign against Dr. Nduaguibe led team, a situation that will further fuels disaffection and lack of trust between the two teams.


Proffering a way forward, the Nsulu Village Heads and landowners prayed Gov Otti to sack the Ajagba-led Negotiation Team and select a Team leader who must not necessarily come from Nsulu or Isiala Ngwa North LG in order to minimise confusing the pertinent issues by the introduction of politics of 2027, instead of focusing on the Airport project.


"We reaffirm our willingness not to truncate this noble gesture of the Federal Government, supported by Abia State government and endorsed by Nsulu people", they stated.


The full text of the Open Letter to Gov. Alex Otti reads as follows: 


Open letter to Abia state Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti 


His Excellency Sir,


A Clarion Call To Disband Pastor Caleb Ajagba And Pastor Okorugo Aji-led Abia Airport Negotiation Team 


It is with great pleasure that we write to you and believing you will take your time to look into the merits of our letter and put appropriate action in place that will bring the desired peace and result to the Abia Airport Project 


First, it is not true that Nsulu people are against the proposed Airport project in our land despite our reservations about the location of Airport project in Nsulu land.


We raised genuine concerns during our ONLY two meetings with your Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba to find out the reasons why the former site for the Airport, also within Nsulu territory was abandoned and a new site emerging from same Nsulu land. 


We noted that, while the former land has little or no incumbrances, the later is deep into residential areas and ancestral homes. Sadly all these our enquires didn't get a response from the government, further fueling our suspicion, which has all along not being helped by the infamous divide and rule game by the Chief of staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba.


It was in due cognisance of the institution involved, the Federal and Abia State government, that we held a meeting of the ELECTED VILLAGE HEADS of the Host Communities and Land Owners, took the decision within us to approach Dr. Max Nduaguibe, PhD, who is not just a land owner but a respected Elder statesman to lead and guide us in this Abia Airport journey located in our Communities.


His Excellency Sir, let it be on record again that " WE ARE NOT AGAINST THIS PROJECT". We have however identified the problem with the smooth implementation of issues raised and agreed by the Government Team, led by your Chief of staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba and Pastor Okorugo Aji.


Hence, we are miffed that  both men are working against the agreement reached in our meetings at Umuezeukwu Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North on January 3, 2025 and a follow up meeting at the office of the Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba on January 11, 2025.


It"s against the tenets of peaceful resolution that our team led by Dr. Max Nduaguibe agreed to work with the team led by the Chief of staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba in the presence of the Department of State Security ( DSS) and the State Commissioner for Police is being undermined by the government team, led by Pastor Ajagba. We consider this an affront to all the peace and orderliness established in both meetings and this is the ONLY REASON drawing us back.


Sir, we say it unequivocally that Pastor Caleb Ajagba is using the Airport project to empower and oil his political tool as rumours are rife that he is eyeing the State House of Assembly seat for Isiala Ngwa North state constituency in 2027. He has been engaging people that have no direct business with the project, Christening them his Village Heads and Land Owners. The truth is; they are misleading your administration into unnecessary confrontation with rather peaceful host communities. 


We also have it on good authority that Pastor Ajagba is working hard - in - glove with few of his foot soldiers from Nsulu to launch a ferocious media campaign on Dr. Max Nduaguibe led team, to create confusion, division and disaffection in Nsulu towards the Airport project. This goes to say that Pastor Ajagba and Aji are not good representatives of Abia state government in this project and we thus; REJECT THEM AND CALL FOR A FRESH GOVERNMENT TEAM. 


We, the land owners are supposed to be in the forefront in tracing the perimeter area of the project, which will indicate our acceptability and willingness to usher - in this project but Pastor Ajagba and Aji prefers to use total strangers, while holding secret meetings in some villages like the ones held at Umuomaunta Women Hall and Ubaha Nsulu, neglecting our preferred TEAM


Finally, we are calling on His Excellency to use your good offices to select a new team, whose Leader must not be from Nsulu or Isiala Ngwa North, it will reduce the introduction of  politices of 2027. We reaffirm our willingness not to truncate this noble gesture of the Federal Government, supported by Abia state government and endorsed by Nsulu people.



Engr. Ikechukwu Uche .

CHAIRMAN (Umuezeukwu ) 


Gabriel Echozolam .

SECRETARY

(Umuezenta Nbawsi)


Chimaobi Ohaka

PRO (Umuosu Nsulu)