Abia Govt Pays Airport Landowners

The Abia State Government says it has compensated landowners whose properties fall within the runway of the ongoing Abia Airport project at Nsulu, Isialangwa North Local Government Area.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba and Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, disclosed this during a fact-finding visit to Nsulu on Saturday.

Addressing the landowners, Pastor Ajagba explained that the government’s attention was drawn to complaints from some members of the host community who claimed they had not received compensation.

He noted that investigations revealed most of the affected persons had either not completed the mandatory indemnity certificate or had issues with their bank accounts, which had delayed their payments.

“We had to come around on a fact-finding mission. And we discovered that it’s not that they have not been paid, but some of them have challenges with either their accounts or maybe they have not completed the mandatory indemnity certificate that will enable them to get paid,” he said.

The Chief of Staff further revealed that about 3,500 people had already been compensated for their lands on the runway, stressing that the government remained committed to ensuring that all verified claimants were settled.

He also addressed concerns over the clearing of areas not marked for enumeration, describing it as “human error by one of the tractor operators” which had since been corrected to the satisfaction of the community.

“For now, we are concentrating on the runway. We have paid about 3,500 people. And it will continue to get to everybody as they come around to complete their indemnity certificates”, Ajagba explained.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, reaffirmed that compensation had been fully paid to every landowner within the runway area, describing any outstanding cases as exceptional.

“This is a responsive government with a human face. We put people first. So everyone within the runway has been paid. However, if there are people within the runway that haven’t been paid, that is an exception which we deal with on a case-by-case basis.

“We’re a listening government. So when people talk, we listen”, he said.

Chukwumerije clarified that the government was presently focused on runway landowners and announced that payments for other areas would be concluded by the end of September 2025 once the final report was completed.

He urged those who had signed indemnity certificates but were yet to receive payment to submit their details for prompt resolution.

Responding, a community leader, Mr. Echezola Ukaumunna, commended the officials for their visit, which he said had corrected “a lot of misconceptions and misinterpretations”.

He blamed previous misunderstandings on poor communication from the traditional ruler who he said was not communicating the people effectively and maintained that the people are impressed.

I am highly impressed. Unlike what we witnessed before. That shows that they (Abia State Government) have a listening ear. That shows that they are ready to work with us. Please, we are ready to work with you,” Ukaumunna said.

Other landowners, including Onyenmaobi Nwairo, Isaac Frank, Chief Isaac Ndubuisi, and John Aliche, also expressed satisfaction with the clarifications provided, and pledged their support for the progress of the airport project.

Abia Govt Pays Airport Landowners is first published on The Whistler Newspaper