Abia airport project and the Alex Otti’s strategy of holistic fairness

By Ferdinand Ekeoma

Governor Alex Otti has left no one in doubt that even in his passionate quest to develop every part of Abia State, the principles of equity, fairness and justice for all must be applied as the most potent driving force in the actualisation of his laudable vision for the people of Abia State.

A few months ago there was an unprecedented uproar over the government’s decision to site the proposed Abia Airport at Nsulu Community in Isialangwa North LGA of the state.

The concerns raised stemmed from unverified but instigated rumour that the government was going to grab the land by force without discussing with the land owners or paying compensation to them.

To further legitimise the unsubstantiated rumour, the instigators alleged that the airport project would displace the indigenes and make it difficult for them to have lands for residence and farming.

As at the moment this was raging, the government had neither made any illegal intrusion nor taken steps that suggested forceful incursion geared towards illegal acquisition.

The government assured that it would not do anything that wouldn’t be in tandem with its established procedural pattern of Consultation, Negotiation and Compensation (CNC) in the acquisition of lands or spaces for development as instructed by the Governor on assumption of office.

Governor Otti (middle) performing the groundbreaking

To address the concerns of those whose innocent disapproval or resistance was created through instigation and misinformation, Governor Otti directed that two committees representing the Government and the Community respectively be set up to hold a no-holds-barred discussion that would be open, truttful and fair with a view to protecting the interests of the affected persons in the community while creating a hitch-free and uninhindered access for the government and its agents coming to carry out the project.

To implement the directive of the Governor to the fullest, a committee that had representatives for each of the communities was set up based on the unanimous decision and agreement of the people.

Locals celebrating the airport project

The committee held series of fruitful and peaceful meetings with the team from the government which led to important resolutions, including;
1. Collective mapping
2. Collective Enumeration
3. Drastic reduction in the size of the earlier proposed size of the land to be acquired etc

The mapping and enumeration enabled the two sides agree on the scope of the project to be executed, the size of the land, and the number and true identities of the real land owners to be compensated.

The government also listened to the case put forward by the representatives of the communities for the size of the land to be reduced, and subsequently agreed.

Throughout these all-inclusive deliberations and interface, government was able to prove its sincerity and commitment to doing the right thing while creating the pathway for the success of the project.

While still basking in the euphoria of the development which the project would bring to their community, the compensation money promised by Governor Otti started dropping in torrents, sparking massive jubilations in different parts of the community.

Yesterday, the 28th day of March 2025, the people of Nsulu, men and women, the young and the old trooped out in their large numbers to welcome the government delegation as the contractors handling the project moved in with their earthmoving equipment to start the airport project.

The people were seen singing and dancing voluntarily with smiles and laughters on their faces.

They also poured encomium on Governor Alex for keeping to his word and doing what no government had ever done in the state with respect to land acquisition with human face.

For those who have followed the present government’s trajectory of altruism and transparency in acquiring individual or community lands or spaces for overriding public interest, what happened in Nsulu is not different from what had happened in other places like the Aguiyi Ironsi Boulevard (Former Osaa road) Tower to Onuimo Road, Umuikaa to Owerrinta Road, AIIP Owaza and others.

Governor Otti strongly holds the view that while laying the foundation for development and general prosperity in the state, the people must never be subjected to avoidable hardship, no matter how difficult it might be for the government.

In his 2016 article published in his Thisday Colum (Outside the Box by Alex Otti ) captioned “The Fish Gets Rotten From The Head: The Leadership Questions”, Governor Otti defined vision as a “proactive, realistic and convincing depiction of where one wants to be in the future”.

Without doubt, the Abia Chief Executive isn’t just thinking big with his audacious Abia Airport Project, he is thinking the future of Abia State and the future and well-being of Abians, hence his resolve to pursue massive projects and programmes that would lift Abia and Abians out of the doldrums of poverty, penury and underdevelopment.

Ferdinand Ekeoma
Special Adviser to the Governor
(Media and Publicity)
March 29, 2025.

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