National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed relief materials worth millions of naira to the people of Ogwuanocha and Ogwuikpele communities in Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra state.
The items were facilitated by the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Afam Victor Ogene through a motion he moved in the green chambers over the plight of the people of the communities.
Ogene, a Labour Party (LP) member and Chairman of the House Committee on Renewable Energy had in the motion lamented how his Ogwuanocha people have been living as refugees in camps outside their community since 2021 ocassioned by internal skirmishes risen amongst them.
He also regretted the untold hardship their Ogwuikpele counterpart have been subjected to following seemingly lingering flood disasters and total absence of government presence in the area.
Speaking weekend during the flag off ceremony for the items distribution at Iyiowa-Odekpe area of Ogbaru local government area, Southeast Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mrs. Ngozi Echeazu commended Ogene for his representation of his constituency, courage and commitment towards the people’s welfare.
She said, “You may wish to know that the facilitator of federal government’s interventionist measure through NEMA is your son. He was the one who approached the Presidency and complained about the problem on ground within the communities some time ago and that the federal government had not come to their aid.
“He wrote to us that’s why we’re here today to flag off the distribution exercise of the relief materials. The items of donation and distribution are for people of Ogwuanocha and Ogwuikpele communities.
“We also have other people to attend to within the state in no distant time. We don’t want crisis to continue and we are ready to listen to Hon. Ogene in future. We are here with officials of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Local Government Emergency Committee.”
Echeazu urged the people to conduct themselves in peaceful and orderly manner as well as support the lawmaker for more democratic dividends and effective representation.
Items distributed to the IDPs were hundreds of bedding materials (foam and mats); food items including bags of rice, garri, gallons of groundnut oil, maggi, noodles; baby wears, wrappers, towels, rubber buckets and others.
Hon Ogene who doubles as the LP Caucus leader in the House of Representatives had earlier empowered over 100 youths with skills training programme on Renewable Energy to make them become meaningful and engage them productive ventures as responsible members of the society.
The three-day training exercise was organized in collaboration with the Border Communities Agency (BCDA) and MODESCOM Solution Ltd with focus on solar energy installation, maintenance and equipping beneficiaries with practical skills to thrive in the renewable energy sector.
Recall that the two oil rich communities, particularly, Ogwuaniocha community were on November 2021 sacked by gunmen who invaded the palace of the 71 year old traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Oliver Nnaji and abducted him to an unknown destination and his palace also burnt down by the hoodlums.
Sadly, the Ogwuaniocha people are currently taking refuge in neighbouring communities following the crisis which engulfed the area and led to the death of several persons as well as wanton destruction of properties.
Investigations revealed that the state government has abandoned the communities to their fate without single infrastructure following allegations that the people did not cast their votes for the state Governor Charles Soludo during the 2021 governorship election.
Worst still is the 30 kilometers road leading from Onitsha – Ogbaru presently deplorable and impassable with residents of Ogbaru and others living along the route including commuters paying as high as N500 as against N200 through and fro short distance locations while motorists suffer excruciating pains on daily basis.
