Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has approved fifteen million naira for Ogwuaniocha community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the State in support for the mass burial of the forty-three indigenes of the community who lost their lives during the internal crisis that rocked the community in November 2021.
Presenting the cheque on behalf of the Governor to the President General of Ogwuaniocha Progressive Association, Honourable Vitalis Ekweanua; in company of other stakeholders from the community in his office on Thursday, the State Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Barr Anthony Ifeanya, applauded the community for doing the needful and paving the way for peace to thrive.
Barrister Ifeanya, who announced Governor Soludo’s willingness to visit the community with developmental projects, vowed that the Ogwuaniocha must get everything that is due to them as host community under his watch.
Receiving the cheque, the President General, Honourable Ekweanua, disclosed that in their quest to achieve all the activities mapped out to restore lasting peace, they sourced fund and held the mass burial for the forty-three deceased members on 20th April 2025 and greatly appreciated Governor Soludo for his gesture.
Ekweanua, however, lamented that despite the state government effort, the community still remain under deserted atmosphere.
According him, the 15 million naira support is a welcome development, but the community is asking for more government presence in infrastructural development, etc.
“Ogwuaniocha community is completely deserted. Nothing good is happening here. “Our children don’t longer go to school because the entire schools in the community (Primary and Secondary Schools were all destroyed due to the communal crisis.
“As I speak to you, about 90 percent houses including my house as the President General of the town was also destroyed beyond repair.
“Our healthcare facilities are also affected. Nothing good is happening here. We are currently helpless. We seriously need our solution governor to urgently intervene.
“The company drilling oil in our community is also our major challenged, ever since the commence operation in the area, we stopped farming and fishing due to the oil spelling and no compensation has been given to us.
“For the past three years, we have been living in fears, pain and hunger as a result of the crisis. Our kidnapped Traditional ruler has remain missing since the crisis broke out in November 2021 under the immediate past administration of governor Willie Obiano.
“We are appealing to governor Soludo to extend more of his kind-hearted agenda for Ndi-Anambra to our community by reconstructing the affected facilities and also build us a bridge at Ulasi river that would link Umunankwo to Ihiala Local Government Area of the State. And with this I believed, the community would regain back her lost glory.
“Soludo, being a God-send governor to Anambra, we will support him with 100/100 votes to ensure that he emerges victorious in the November 8, 2025 governorship election in the state.
