The Landowners in communities hosting the proposed Abia Airport project in Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of the state, have reclaimed their farmlands ahead of the new planting season.
They cited what they described as a lack of transparency and sincerity by the Abia State government led by Alex Otti.
The affected villages include Okpuala, Umuezenta and Umuelenwa in Umuomainta Autonomous Community, Mbawsi all in Nsulu.
They accused the state government of publishing fictitious or non-existent names in the compensation list for land acquired for the airport project, arguing that this had further eroded their confidence in the process.
The people, who conducted newsmen round the runway site, on Wednesday, said they were no longer comfortable with the handling of the acquisition and compensation process.
Mr. Echezolam Ukaumunna, the Village Head of Umuezenta and Secretary of the Nsulu Landowners Association, said their decision to reclaim their lands was further driven by the need to avert hunger and economic hardship in the area.
He accused the Abia State Ministry of Lands and Survey of failing to address repeated complaints about alleged fictitious or non-existent names included on the compensation list.
Ukaumunna said that the government was not engaging directly with the genuine landowners, adding that the situation had eroded their confidence in the process.
He said: “If the government was transparent, it would have long published the names of the 3,500 people it claims to have fully compensated. What is being paid as compensation is a ridicule and further shows that the process lacks transparency.
”We have a case that is being perpetrated by Mr. Nnamdi Oguwa, an indigene of Umuezenta Village, who connived with government Consultants and Attorneys and engaged in land acquisition in respect of Nsulu Airport.
“He was fraudulently awarded fictitious square maters in Umuezenta and Umuelenwa villages, thereby displacing the rightful owners of land. We also have fictitious names like Henry Nwosu, Ogbonna Azubuike among others, who do not have portions of land, but have been compensated with huge sums of money.”
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He also alleged that some individuals, working with consultants and legal representatives, were fraudulently allocated land portions, thereby displacing rightful owners.
According to Ukaumunna, the government has not disclosed the rate paid per portion of land or for cash crops.
He said those invited to Umuahia were made to sign indemnity forms and later paid amounts determined unilaterally by the authorities, without regard to the size of their holdings.
He added that farming activities were largely abandoned last year because of the acquisition, worsening economic hardship in the area.
He claimed that petty crime had increased as youths struggled to cope with the situation.
He alleged that fictitious names were discovered on the compensation lists for Okpuala, Umuezenta and Umuelenwa.
He further claimed that many genuine landowners, some with up to 50 to 80 portions of land, had yet to be paid compensation.
Ukaumunna said that for transparency, the government should publicly release the names of the 3,500 persons it claimed had been fully compensated.
Continuing, he said: “In Umezenta alone, we identified 150 fictitious names, over 130 questionable names in Umulenwa, likewise Okpuala. We know ourselves; we farm together and live together.
“We gathered our people, including those in the diaspora, and carefully verified these names from compound to compound.
“We have substantial evidence, even some consultants have admitted there are fictitious names on the list. At one point, we were told 3,500 people had been paid. Later, we heard it was 500.
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“We demanded to have the list of those paid. Instead of giving us that, we were given a list of those yet to be paid, and we still discovered fictitious names there.
“We are asking the government to sort out these names so that adequate compensation will go to the real landowners.
“Let there be a proper agreement in black and white so that our children will not accuse us tomorrow of sell out.”
Ukaumunna further alleged that the state government had not disclosed the rate being paid per portion of land or for cash crops.
He claimed that some landowners invited to Umuahia were asked to sign indemnity forms without clear breakdown of how compensation figures were calculated.
In separate remarks, residents Isaac Ndukwe and a widow, Ihuoma Ogubunka, said they were exhausted by repeated meetings that yielded no tangible results.
They appealed to Governor Otti to closely scrutinise those representing the government in discussions with the villagers including: the Chief of Staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije among others.
They said the inability to farm had deepened hunger and hardship, forcing the communities to reclaim their lands to feed their families and support their children’s education, while remaining open to dialogue with the government when it is ready to engage the rightful landowners.
They called on Governor Otti to “closely scrutinise those handling negotiations with the villagers.”
They said their inability to farm last year had worsened hardship among families.
They, however, said that they remained open to dialogue, provided discussions would be held directly with the verified landowners and conducted transparently.
Several attempts made to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, to the development were unsuccessful.
