Despite Delta Govt Promise, Rebuilding Okuama Community Remains a Mirage

Eliana Robo

Curiosity is one of the driving instincts of an investigative journalist. Once something of significance erupts within their area of coverage, the hairs on their skin jut out like antennas. They want to know where the place is, how to get there and who to guide them. The purpose is to get to the root of the story and if possible, dig out as many scoops that they can with the originality that come with them. It is indeed a life of adventure, the sweetness of which is savoured when they sit back to write about their experiences.

Okuama, an agrarian community in Delta State’s Ughelli South Local Government Area, remains in the spotlight, sadly, not for a positive reason. The community has hardly known peace since March 14, when 17 military personnel comprising four officers and 13 soldiers were allegedly gruesomely murdered by the community youths of the Okuama community during a peace mission, a development that the Army of Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa has since controveted, stressed that the slained officers died in connection to illegal oil business.

Despite several denials by the community that their youths were not responsible for the deaths of the soldiers, the resulting mass destruction of the community and its farm land by the military forced the troubled Okuama residents, comprising farmers, women, youths and children to flee their demolished ancestral community in their hundreds and seek refuge in neighbouring creeks and forests for months.

Sometimes in May, 2024, the Delta state government opened internally displaced persons camp at Ewu Urhobo for the rehabilitation of the displaced indigenes, pending the rebuilding of their ruined ancestral homes.

Okuama comunity is located along the river forcado in Ughelli south Local Government Area of Delta State share similarities with a pigeary farm. As the community no structure, except the Anglican church building that has become playground for mosquito among other reptiles and swampy, fit only for swine, and there is no good water supply, hospital hence resindents resorted in open defecations. This is happening even after Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori has promised to rebuild Okuama health facilities.

As at now the the only standing structure in Okuama community is the only Anglican church building that housed the warring military that were deployed to flush out Okuama residents for allegely killing 17 military officers march 14, 2024.

Would Delta Government refused to buid Okuama Community 

Sometimes in May, 2024, Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori told delegation of Urhobo Traditional Rulers led by its Chairman, led by its Chairman and Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM, Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, and the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU Worldwide, led by its President General, Chief Ese Gam, at Government House, Asaba, that Delta State Government has commenced the process of rebuilding Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state destroyed after the unfortunate killing of 17 Army officers and soldiers in the community. The governor disclosed this when he played host to the leadership of Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers in Government but since the governor made the promise, no visible structure has been erected in the community. But barely six months of promise, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori has not commence building of the Okuama community, a community known for their block votes during elections.

Okuama sends sos to Federal Government, International Organisations

in what the People of Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State have described as unpatriotic and unwillingness of Delta state governemnt to fulfil its promise to rebuild the community have appealed to the Federal, State Governments International organisations, Cooperate Organization, Individuals, to come to their aid towards the rebuilding of the community.

The community, once had well structured houses, but after the invasion of the military, has been overtaken by weeds and reptiles, and indigenes now sleep in dilapidated structures while some sleep in the open atmosphere.

They said feeding has been hectic for the people, there are means of portable water nor health facilities, noting that they now resorted to drinking and bathing from contaminated river which is harmful to their health.

Some leaders of Okuama community, Mr Victor Akemor, Hon Jacob Akemor, lamented that over Nineteen days now since the shutdown of the Ewu-Okuama camp the people returned to the community to meet nothing on ground, even though they were promised completion of a hall for them to stay.

They explained also that their children who were taught at the IDP camp no longer go to school because the primary and secondary schools being built by the state government is still not completed.

Some of the women who spoke expressed sadness over their living condition, saying that the reason they accepted going to the camp was due to the promise by Delta Stste government of putting up structures before they return, only to return to nothing on ground.

As at the time of this report, efforts to obtain comments from officials of Delta state government was not successful.