ABIA AIRPORT: WE HAVE PAID COMPENSATIONS FOR RUNWAY, ABSG SPEAKS, EXPLAINS DETAILS

By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu On Sep 13, 2025

Abia State Government says it has paid compensation for the land owners of the Abia Airport project whose land are located along the runway of the airport project.

Government added that if there are those that are yet to be paid, it may be exceptional cases, which must be attended to on case-by-case basis.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba disclosed this on Friday at Abia Airport project site, Nsulu, Isialangwa North LGA when he paid a fact – finding visit to Nsulu people in company of the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Cjaka Chukwumerije and other top government officials.

He said that the visit became necessary as the attention of government was drawn to the fact that there are some people within the Abia Airport in Nsulu that claimed that they have not been paid compensation.

“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.

“We also had complaints about claring of areas that are not enumerated. And we discovered that that is human error by one of the tractor operators. And of course, that has been corrected. And this has also been done to the satisfaction of the host community.

“But this is something that takes a process. Everybody will get paid. 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.
,” Pastor Ajagba explained.

Pastor Ajagba, who noted that the Nsulu people are not opposed to the airport project, but are telling government that they want payment for the entire airport areas that have been enumerated.

He thanked the host community for the kind of cooperations government receives from them and assured that “we will continue to make sure that whatever agreements, whatever things that are due to them, will always get to them,”.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije reemphasised that government has paid every land owner within the runway.

“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. That’s why we’re on ground, ascertaining the complaints that have been made and giving the assurances that anyone, for whatever reason, who has not been paid, those payments will be made,”.

Mr. Chukwumerije clerified that the areas cleared by the operators was a human error and explained more the compensation.

“The payment we are doing for now is for those within the runway and most people within that runway have been paid. If you are within the runway and you haven’t been paid, it is an exception.

“If you are missed out within the runway, your name is in the final report. And by the end of the month (September 2025),the final report of everybody outside of the runway will be paid.

” If you have signed indemnity certificate, we have paid you, if you have signed indemnity certificate and you haven’t been paid, again, that is an exception, maybe bank details.

He enjoined anyone who has signed indemnity certificate but has not been paid to submit his name to him.

Responding, a community leader, Mr. Echezola Ukaumunna appreciated the visit of the government officials, saying that corming has corrected
a lot of misconceptions and misinterpretations.

While blaming the misunderstanding against the government, on theiir 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.

In their various contributions some of the land owners, including, Onyenmaobi Nwairo, Isaac Frank, Chief Isaac Ndubuisi, John Aliche among others, expressed satisfaction with the explanations given by both the Chief of Staff to the Governor and the Commissioner for Land and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije

They said that now the government has come and explained things to them, nobody amongst them would think of stopping the progress of the project.

Other government officials in the delegation were the Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mr. Matthew Ekwuribe, Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands and Housing and Project Coordinator for Abia Airport, Pastor okorougo Ajị among others.

DIVINE NWANKWO
HOD (INFORMATION)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
12 – 09 – 2025.