Abia Airport: Stakeholders ask govt to respect court order

Stakeholders, under the aegis of Nsulu Airport Land Owners and Host Communities, have criticised the Abia government's decision to begin the clearance of access road for the proposed Abia Airport, alleging that the move was in violation of a court order.

The state government last week commenced the clearing of access roads for the runway of the proposed Abia Airport with a disclosure that members of the host communities are receiving their compensations with joy.

Also, Chairman of the Memorandum of Agreement Committee, Uzor Azubuike, said that Governor Alex Otti reduced the hectares of land to be acquired from 1,800 to 1000, as earlier requested by the the land owners.

But the Nsulu stakeholders in a statement issued by Israel Ogbonna, head of its media team, said that Abia State High Court sitting in Okpuala Ngwa on December 20, 2024, had ordered the Abia State government to stay action on the project, pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by representatives of land owners concerning the matter.

According to him, Justice Enyinnaya Okezie presided over the matter in the suit No. HIN/62/2024, with a lawyer appearing for the land owners while C. Ogwo, Acting Director, Civil Litigation Department, Abia State Ministry of Justice, appeared for the respondents.

Ogbonna said that the state government team led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Caleb Ajagba last week moved bulldozers to the site.

According to him, the move was a show of disdain for an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

He said his people are concerned that agreement has not been reached on actual land size they are giving away by way of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, and the technical details of the impact of the Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, among other issues.

The stakeholders therefore called on the government to respect the court order.