The Nsulu landowners in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, which is home to the proposed Abia airport, have accused the state government of proceeding with the project despite the state high court’s order to stay the matter.
The communities in a statement on Sunday, said “The Abia State Government has commenced the clearing of the access road leading to the runway of the proposed Abia Airport in Nsulu, despite an order of Abia State High Court ordering the state government to stay further action on the project pending the hearing and determination of the suit by Nsulu landowners.”
The statement added, “Recall that the Alex Otti government was stopped by a state high court sitting in Okpuala Ngwa, which ordered the state government to stay further action on the project over its plan to seize over 1025 hectares of land belonging to some Nsulu communities.
“Trial judge, Justice Enyinnaya Okezie, had on December 20, 2024, made the order, following the suit by representatives of the communities.
“At the hearing in the suit No. HIN/62/2024, their lawyer represented the communities, while C. Ogwo, acting Director, Civil Litigation Department, Abia State Ministry of Justice, Umuahia, appeared for the respondents.
“Justice Okezie had ordered,” It is hereby ordered as follows: That C.O. Ogwo undertakes that action in respect of the subject matter in this suit shall be stayed till the motion on notice is determined.
“But the landowners yesterday, said the Abia State government has moved bulldozers to the site and had through the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Calab Ajagba said that the Otti government was carrying on with the project.”
The statement further said that “Some Nsulu leaders who were alarmed by the development noted that it was dangerous for a state government to openly show its disdain for an order of court of competent jurisdiction.
“The landowners called on Nigerians and people of goodwill to prevail on Governor Otti and his aides and make them realise that they are not above a court order and must subject themselves to the rule of law.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State
“Of more concern to the communities is that an agreement has not been reached with the host communities on actual land size they are giving away, by way of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, the technical details of the impact of the project on the people’s health and survival by way of Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, by relevant Health Ministry has not been disclosed, while government is going around with its handpicked friends it want to impose on Nsulu land owners as leaders and representatives.”
According to them, “While government has sent bulldozers to Umuala, one of the community leaders, complained of how distrust and disappointed he has become against the government he had trusted to do things right.
“An elder in the community, who said they were not against the airport project said: “We have no quarrel with Otti administration on the Airport project. We have an issue with the quantum of land being acquired.
“We also have issues with the manipulative process of land acquisition, the lack of transparency, the secrecy of not willing to tell landowners the amount of their land that is being taken over by the government.”
Another community leader, disappointed that the state government would send bulldozers to Umuala when the issues have not been resolved, said: “Government propaganda alone will not solve all the problems associated with the airport project. We shall get to a point where the truth will stand in the way of government propaganda.
‘Please, with due respect to every one of us, our people at Umuala Nsulu are bringing it to the notice of this forum that no one should think of coming for clearing of any site in Umuala while the land owners and enumeration report are yet to be released and verified, and land owners paid their dues and adequate compensations,” he added.
Also, an Nsulu group, Nsulu Stakeholders Forum, NSF, warned that the Abia State government’s disregard for court orders would negatively impact investors coming to the state, as they would not want to invest in a state where the government shows total disregard for an order made by its court.
NSF Convertor, Mazi Chigoram, reacting, said: “What we are talking about here is an order made by the state court; if the Otti government shows total disregard and disrespect to such an order, what would a private investor feel? That he can get justice in the state if, in the course of doing his business, a dispute arises and he takes it to court and gets a ruling and the government will have no regard for it? Nobody will want to come to that kind of state.
“What Otti and his aides are doing without them knowing it is that they are aggressively demarketing Abia. Nobody wants to do business in a place where court rulings have no value. We call on the Abia State government to respect the stay order granted by its court in respect of the proposed Nsulu land acquisition, which we call land grabbing. The airport project is not running away. We know it is a project approved by the Tinubu administration. Otti should not make the Federal Government look bad for approving the airport for us because he is sending a terrible signal to people that he has no regard for court orders by going ahead with any land clearing for now. We must await the outcome of the matter in court; that is what the rule of law dictates,” he added.
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