By Lukman Olabiyi
The landowners in Nsulu, Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, host to the proposed Abia Airport, have accused the state government of violating court’s order which restrained it from taking further action on the project pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed by Nsulu landowners.
The landowners and other stakeholders under the umbrella of Nsulu Stakeholders Forum (NSF) in a press release made available to journalists, alleged that the state government has commenced the clearing of the access road leading to the runway of the proposed Abia Airport despite the court’s order stopping it.
The aggrieved landowners and stakeholders cited the order of Justice Enyinnaya Okezie of the Abia State High Court, Okpuala Ngwa, delivered on December 20, 2024, ordering the state government to stay further action on the project over its plan to seize over 1025 hectares of land belonging to some Nsulu communities.
Justice Okezie’s order was as a result of the suit filed by representatives of the communities.
At the hearing in the suit No. HIN/62/2024, the communities were represented by their lawyer, while C. Ogwo, acting Director, Civil Litigation Department, Abia State Ministry of Justice, Umuahia appeared for the respondents.
Justice Okezie had ordered, ‘“It is hereby ordered as follows; that C.O. Ogwo undertakes that action in respect of the subject matter in this suit shall be stayed till the motion on notice is determined”.
However, the plaintiffs have raised alarm over the disobedient to court’s order by the state government
NSF warned that the Abia State government disregard for court order would impact negatively on investors coming to the state, as they would not want to invest in a state where the government shows total disregard for an order made by it’s court.
NSF convener, Mazi Chigoram said: “What we are talking about here is an order made by the state court, if the Governor Alex Otti’s government shows total disregard and disrespect to such an order, what would a private investor feel? That he can get justice in the state if in the course of doing his business a dispute arises and he takes it to court and gets a ruling and the government will have no regard for it? No body will want to come to that kind of state.
“What Otti and his aides are doing without them knowing it is that they are aggressively demarketing Abia. No body wants to do business in a place where court rulings have no value. We call on the Abia State government to respect the stay order granted by it’s court in respect of the proposed Nsulu land acquisition, which we call land grabbing. The airport project is not running away. We know it is a project approved by the Tinubu administration, Otti should not make the Federal Government look bad for approving the airport for us, because by going ahead with any land clearing for now, he is sending a terrible signal to people that he has no regard for court orders. We must await the outcome of the matter in court, that is what rule of law dictates,” he added.