The mass burial of forty-three indigenous people from Ogwuaniocha, an oil-bearing community in Ogbaru Local Government Area, who were killed during a violent internal crisis in November 2021, will be supported by ₦15 million approved by Anambra State Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
The funds were formally presented to the community by the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Anthony Ifeanya, on behalf of the governor. The cheque was handed over to the president general of the Ogwuaniocha Progressive Association, Honourable Vitalis Ekweanua, in the presence of other community stakeholders.
The 2021 communal crisis not only claimed dozens of lives but also resulted in widespread destruction of homes, schools, and essential infrastructure, forcing many residents to flee the community.
While commending the community’s efforts to restore peace, Commissioner Ifeanya assured the people of the governor’s commitment to inclusive development.
“Ogwuaniocha people must get everything that is due to them as a host community under the watch of Governor Soludo,” he stated.
Receiving the financial support, Ekweanua expressed deep gratitude to the governor for the gesture, noting that the community had been struggling to raise funds for the long-overdue mass burial.
“The N15 million support is a welcome development, but the community is asking for more government presence in infrastructural development,” he said.
He described the scale of devastation, stating that about 90% of the community’s homes, schools, and healthcare facilities were destroyed, rendering the area largely uninhabitable.
“Our children no longer attend school because all the schools—primary and secondary—were destroyed during the crisis. About 90% of the houses, including mine, were destroyed beyond repair. Our healthcare facilities were also affected,” he added.
Ekweanua also drew attention to the adverse effects of oil exploration, which have disrupted traditional livelihoods due to oil spills, leaving many without compensation.
“For the past three years, we have lived in fear, pain, and hunger. “Our traditional ruler has remained missing since the crisis began in November 2021,” he lamented.
He called on Governor Soludo to urgently intervene by rebuilding the community’s infrastructure and constructing a bridge across the Ulasi River to reconnect Umunankwo with Ihiala Local Government Area.
“Governor Soludo is a God-sent governor,” Ekweanua said, pledging the community’s full support for his re-election bid in the November 8, 2025, governorship election.
