The Anambra State chapter of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has petitioned the Anambra State House of Assembly over the alleged plight of indigenes recently returned from South Africa, calling for urgent humanitarian assistance, legislative intervention and a structured reintegration programme.
The petition, dated August 14, 2026, was addressed to Hon. Barr. Mimi Ifeoma Azikiwe, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, through the committee chairman.
Signed by Comrade Onuoha E. Onuoha, Anambra State Chairman of OYC and South-East Zonal Representative of the organisation, the petition alleged that some of the returnees had remained stranded for more than one month without adequate accommodation, food, transportation and sustainable means of livelihood.
According to the petition, some of those affected are indigenes of Onitsha, within the constituency represented by the lawmaker, making the matter particularly urgent and requiring immediate legislative attention.
The OYC described the situation as a humanitarian concern involving citizens who had returned to Anambra under difficult circumstances and now required government support to rebuild their lives.
Calls for Immediate Government Intervention
The organisation appealed to the House Committee on Public Petitions to summon relevant government agencies and stakeholders to provide information on the circumstances surrounding the returnees and their current condition.
It also requested that the authorities establish the exact number and identities of the affected persons and determine their immediate needs, particularly those without accommodation, feeding, transportation and other basic necessities.
The petition further urged the Anambra State Government to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to prevent the returnees from falling into deeper hardship and vulnerability.
OYC called for an official reception and engagement between the returnees and the state government, as well as the development of a structured reintegration programme.
Such a programme, it said, should include skills acquisition, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship support, grants, soft loans and other sustainable livelihood initiatives.
The organisation also advocated collaboration between the state government, relevant federal agencies, local governments, community organisations and humanitarian bodies to ensure that the returnees receive comprehensive support.
Calls for Hearing of Returnees
The petition further requested that representatives of the returnees or their advocates be invited to appear before the House committee where necessary, so they can directly present their experiences, circumstances and immediate needs.
The OYC stressed that the matter goes beyond politics, describing it as an issue of human dignity, compassion and the responsibility of government towards citizens in vulnerable circumstances.
“Our people have returned home; they should not remain stranded for weeks without knowing where their next meal, accommodation or means of livelihood will come from,” the petition stated.
The organisation appealed to the Deputy Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee to use her office to secure urgent legislative and governmental attention to the matter.
It said such intervention could help establish the facts surrounding the situation, provide immediate relief and create the foundation for a sustainable reintegration programme for the affected Ndi Anambra.
OYC said it remained ready to provide the names, locations, documentation and other relevant information concerning the affected returnees whenever required.
The petition was copied to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation and other relevant government agencies and stakeholders.
The petition now places the reported condition of the returnees before the state legislature for possible investigation and intervention.
