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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia state Government said it has paid compensation to over 4,000 land donors for the state Airport project at Nsulu with 6,000 others outstanding out of the 10,000 landowners.
Governor Alex Otti disclosed this Friday night at Government House, Umuahia during the February edition of “Governor Alex Otti Speaks to Abians”, a monthly media chat of the Governor.
Otti disclosed that the compensations being paid currently are for those whose lands are located along the proposed run way of the airport.
He stated that his government is taking the compensation payment step by step, and described recent negative reports of the payments as a hatchet job.
“I’m sure some of you may have seen that there were negative reports from someone who I even understand had not attended any of the meetings. So I think it was just a hatchet job done by an individual .
“But I’m glad to report that compensation payments have resumed on the 23rd of this month, after the meeting on the 18th of this month.
“I understand there are close to 10,000 claimants, and at the moment over 4,000 have been paid.
“So we are taking them step by step. We first of all took the people we acquired the proposed runway, which is what is going on now.”
Otti informed that in the spirit of transparency, he directed the Commissioner for Land to publish the names of claimants to the communities.
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“So there’s nothing that is hidden. Of course, we are not ruling out sharp practices, but we are also very, very ready to deal with anyone that we see”, Otti assured.
He announced the Abia Electric Bus Services, the Green shuttles would from March 1, commence subsidised services with a fare of N800 from Umuahia to Aba and N1,000 for Umuahia to Ohafia routes.
“it’s going to be cheap. You need to be organised in such a way that cash will not be accepted. So you have to pay with card.
“We need to just begin to move up the ladder. Digital transformation, that’s where the world has gone. We can’t be different.”
The Governor that the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal was designated to be the operational base for the Electric buses in Umuahia while Aba would also have the Bus Terminal.
Otti used the occasion to clear the air on the ownership of the Radisson Blu Enyimba Hotels under reconstruction, saying that Abia state government owns 80 percent shares while 20 percent shares go to the families of the pathfinders in the investment of the project, who made the investments in those days through the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA).
