In a poignant ceremony on Tuesday, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori officially inaugurated a modern resettlement cluster in the once-devastated Okuama community, Ughelli South Local Government Area. The event marked the symbolic turning of a painful chapter for a people whose homes were razed in March 2024 following the brutal killing of 17 Nigerian Army personnel in the area. Eight months after the incident that displaced hundreds of families and reduced the community to rubble, the new housing units now stand as a concrete testament to the state government’s promise of restoration and reconciliation.
Represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Governor Oborevwori described the inauguration as far more than a routine commissioning of buildings. “This is a moment of renewal,” he declared, “a moment when we turn the page from pain to possibility, from loss to restoration, from despair to hope.” The governor acknowledged the deep scars left by the March 14 tragedy, emphasizing that while the wounds are still raw, his administration consciously chose the path of rebuilding rather than retribution.
He framed the resettlement camp not merely as shelter but as a foundation for renewed life. “It is a place where life can begin anew, where families can regain stability, and where Okuama can rise again,” he said. Anchoring the initiative in his MORE Agenda (Meaningful Opportunities, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace-building), Oborevwori reiterated his government’s commitment to restoring trust, protecting dignity, and ensuring no community in Delta State is left behind, no matter how severe the setback.
The governor urged the returning residents to seize the new beginning with open hearts, putting aside divisions and embracing unity. He reminded them that while government has provided the infrastructure, the long-term success of the resettlement depends on the people’s determination to sustain peace and protect the facilities. “The future now depends on your collective resolve,” he stressed.
The resettlement project itself is modest yet thoughtfully designed to meet immediate needs. It consists of 40 spacious rooms housed in well-finished blocks, two dedicated blocks containing 20 toilets and bathrooms, a solar-powered borehole and water reticulation system that guarantees a steady supply of clean water, and a paved, roofed walkway linking all structures. The use of solar energy underscores a commitment to sustainability in a rural area often plagued by erratic power supply.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of Ughelli South Local Government Council, Hon. Lucky Avweromre, revealed that the housing cluster was fully funded and constructed by the local government council, demonstrating rare synergy between state and local authorities. He expressed profound gratitude to Governor Oborevwori for additional interventions, including the construction of a new primary school, a secondary school, and a fully equipped primary health centre—critical institutions that will serve both returning residents and surrounding communities.
In an emotional joint address signed by Mr. Okrika Emmanuel and Comrade Akemor Victor on behalf of the Okuama community, the people poured out their hearts in appreciation. They described the events of March 14, 2024, as an unprecedented shock that shattered their peaceful existence. “What happened to us was a great surprise to our community because we have never experienced such a thing before now,” they stated. Yet amid the trauma, they credited divine intervention and the governor’s swift response for preventing an even worse outcome.
“Your timely rescue saved us from total annihilation,” the community leaders declared. They praised Oborevwori as “a good leader that can hear the voice of his followers” and pledged unwavering loyalty to his administration. Most significantly, they promised to uphold peace in their domain, recognizing the governor as “a man of peace” whose legacy they are determined to protect.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by traditional rulers, community elders, security operatives, contractors, officials of the Ministry of Housing, and a cross-section of Ughelli South political leaders. The governor, through his deputy, extended special commendation to every stakeholder who contributed to the rapid delivery of the project, but reserved his highest praise for the people of Okuama themselves. “I salute your resilience, your patience, and your faith,” he said. “You are the true heroes of this moment.”
For a community that spent months in displacement camps, uncertain about whether they would ever return home, Tuesday’s event carried profound emotional weight. Mothers who once fled with infants on their backs wept openly as they received keys to brand-new apartments. Young men who feared their village had been erased forever walked the paved walkways in disbelief. Elders who doubted they would live to see Okuama rise again offered prayers of thanksgiving beneath the gleaming solar-powered streetlights.
The Okuama resettlement project is more than an infrastructure delivery; it is a deliberate political and moral statement. In a region where communal conflicts have sometimes spiraled into prolonged cycles of destruction and neglect, Governor Oborevwori has chosen magnanimity over vengeance, development over abandonment. By rebuilding schools, a health centre, and dignified homes—complete with modern amenities—the administration is signaling that peace is not merely the absence of violence but the presence of justice, opportunity, and hope.
As the sun set over the new cluster of buildings on Tuesday evening, children could be heard laughing in the compounds, a sound that had been absent from Okuama for far too long. For the first time in nearly nine months, the community slept under solid roofs of their own, with water running from taps and the promise of classes resuming in brand-new classrooms.
The road ahead remains long—trauma does not vanish with the handing over of keys, and the circumstances that led to the March tragedy are still under investigation. Yet with the physical structures now in place and a public commitment to peace from both government and citizens, Okuama has taken its first decisive steps from the ashes toward a future its people can once again believe in.
In the words of Governor Oborevwori himself, delivered through his deputy to a people who have suffered greatly: “Today, we do not just commission buildings. We recommit ourselves to a future of peace, dignity, and shared prosperity.” For the resilient people of Okuama, that future officially began on Tuesday.
