Anambra NUJ Brings Relief to Awba-Ofemili Community

By Oguocha Chukwuebuka

As part of activities lined up for the 2026 Annual Press Week and Man of the Year Celebration, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, has taken its community outreach programme to Awba-Ofemili in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The outreach, held in collaboration with partnering organisations and community-based groups, including the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Association of Pentecostal Churches of Nigeria, Awba-Ofemili Chapter, and members of the Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Awka, brought relief and moments of joy to residents of the community.

The exercise, held at the field of the community’s Civic Centre in Okpuakpana Village, featured the distribution of fairly used clothes, shoes and bags of rice, as well as free medical screening and other forms of assistance to residents.

For many beneficiaries, the gesture came as an unexpected show of love and concern, with residents expressing gratitude for being remembered and reached out to.

NUJ Delegation Visits Monarch
Prior to the commencement of the outreach, the NUJ Anambra State Council, alongside leaders and representatives of the collaborating bodies, paid a courtesy visit to the palace of the traditional ruler of Awba-Ofemili, His Royal Highness, Igwe Ezekwesili Mmaduagwuna, Ofemili I of Awba-Ofemili, to formally acquaint him with their presence and the purpose of the visit.
The monarch, accompanied by members of his cabinet, expressed delight at the initiative and commended the organisations for their decision to identify with the needs of his people.

Speaking on the essence of the outreach, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Anambra State Council, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Ph.D., appreciated the Anambra State Government for its interventions in road infrastructure within the community and other parts of Awka North, as well as the renovation of some schools in the area.
However, he called on the state government to pay greater attention to the healthcare needs of Awba-Ofemili and other communities in Awka North where functional healthcare facilities remain inadequate.
Dr. Odogwu noted that the Primary Health Care Centre in Awba-Ofemili lacks the required personnel and basic amenities needed for effective operation.
He therefore appealed to the state government to intervene in the situation, stressing that improved healthcare services would help reduce the health challenges and preventable deaths confronting residents of the community.

‘Our Health Centre Is Like a Mini Hospital’ — Monarch
Responding, the traditional ruler, Igwe Ezekwesili Mmaduagwuna, commended the NUJ and its partners for the initiative, describing journalists as the “voice of the voiceless.”
He particularly appreciated NANNM, represented at the occasion by its Anambra State Chairman, Mrs. Edith Onwuka, as well as the other organisations that participated in the outreach.
According to the monarch, the Awba-Ofemili Primary Health Care Centre has the potential to function like a mini hospital, but has not received the level of attention required from the relevant authorities.
Igwe Ezekwesili expressed concern over the health challenges facing the community, saying that deaths resulting from ill health have become a recurring concern.
He noted that the situation had, in some instances, led some members of the community to attribute the deaths to spiritual attacks, rather than inadequate access to healthcare.

The monarch identified diabetes among the major health challenges affecting residents and disclosed that the community had taken steps to establish a group focused on health-related matters.
He therefore urged the journalists to continue drawing the attention of the government and relevant authorities to the health needs of Awba-Ofemili.

Igwe Ezekwesili also commended Dr. Odogwu for his leadership and concern for the development of Awka North, praying for God’s continued guidance, strength and wisdom for him.

NANNM Recalls Previous Medical Outreach
The Chairman of the Anambra State Chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Mrs. Edith Onwuka, recalled the association’s previous medical outreach to Awba-Ofemili in 2024.
She said the exercise, which was supported by UNICEF, enabled the team to gather information on the healthcare situation in the community.
“Igwe, if you will remember, we came for a medical outreach with a lot of drugs, with the support of UNICEF. We work with statistics, and since then, we have noticed that health services at Awba-Ofemili are suboptimal because of many factors, especially the lack of a good road at the time.

“We recorded only one medical staff working at the health centre, while at the Anglican Maternity, only one person was working there.”
Mrs. Onwuka explained that following the previous outreach, the association reported its findings to its supporters, who expressed interest in supporting future interventions in Awba-Ofemili and other communities.
She, however, noted that the information about the current outreach came to them at a relatively late stage, making it difficult to secure additional support.
According to her, organisations such as UNICEF require adequate notice to include such programmes in their budgets.
She nevertheless assured the community that NANNM would consider returning for another medical intervention whenever funding and necessary support are secured.

Residents Express Gratitude
After the engagement at the palace, the team proceeded to the community’s Civic Centre, where the main activities of the outreach commenced.

The programme featured free medical screening and consultations, alongside the distribution of clothes, shoes, rice and other items to residents.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. [Name], who spoke with journalists, expressed gratitude for the gesture.

“I am glad today that God has done something good by bringing people who remembered us with clothes, food and other things. It is indeed a thing of joy, and I pray that God will continue to bless them abundantly.”
Another beneficiary, Mr. Geoffrey Onwuzika, from Ezike Village, described the intervention as an unexpected favour and expressed the hope that similar gestures would continue from time to time.

He prayed for God’s blessings upon the organisers and other benefactors who contributed to the success of the outreach.

Also speaking, the President of the Word Based Theological Institute (WOBATHEOIN), Pastor Tochukwu Anamenam, expressed delight that individuals and organisations had found it necessary to impact the lives of people in need.
He commended the leadership of the Anambra State NUJ, particularly Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Ph.D., for facilitating the outreach and ensuring that Awba-Ofemili benefited from the initiative.
Pastor Anamenam also acknowledged the traditional ruler for providing the opportunity for the intervention to take place in the community and prayed for God’s blessings upon all those who contributed to its success.

Odogwu Credits NUJ Man of the Year
The NUJ Anambra State Council Chairman, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, Ph.D., disclosed that the success of the outreach was largely made possible through the support of High Chief Martin Nwabueze, Founder of the Ichie Akubudike Foundation, who emerged as the 2026 NUJ Man of the Year.
Dr. Odogwu expressed appreciation to High Chief Nwabueze for his immense support and contribution towards the success of the outreach.
He said he was particularly touched by the excitement and gratitude expressed by residents as the relief materials were distributed.

Beyond the immediate relief provided by the outreach, Dr. Odogwu used the occasion to call for further infrastructural development in the area.

He appealed to the Anambra State Government to extend the existing road network towards Ayamelum, stressing that such a connection would ease movement, reduce travel time and open up greater economic opportunities for the community.
According to him, connecting Awba-Ofemili to Ayamelum would also help change the perception of the community as a dead-end location and create a more accessible route for residents, businesses and visitors.

For the residents of Awba-Ofemili, the outreach was more than the distribution of clothes, food items and medical services. It was a reminder that, despite the challenges confronting rural communities, there are still individuals, organisations and institutions willing to listen, care and act.
As the NUJ and its partners departed the community, the call for sustainable healthcare, improved infrastructure and continued government attention remained clear.
beyond the outreach.