The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Faruk Yahaya has flagged off a free medical outreach programme in commemoration of Nigerian Army Day Celebration, (NADCEL) 2021.
The programme by the Nigerian Army which took place at the Mpape Primary School, Bwari Area Council, Abuja is a part of series of events lined up to mark the 2021 Nigerian Army Day Celebration.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Faruk Yahaya said it is important to the Nigerian Army to reach out to the host communities across the army divisions, formations and units all over the country.
He said the Nigerian Army identifies areas and communities that require the services the most and reach out to them as part of the army’s cooperate social responsibility in addition to the constitutional role.
“Every year at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration, medical outreach and other activities including quick unpack projects are carried out by the army across the country, targeting less privileged in our host communities, this area was selected because of the population and our assessment of the need of the people around here
“Therefore we complement the efforts of government and other agencies in providing these services, including checking of the blood pressure, provision of wheelchairs, mosquito nets, lenses for those with eye problem after due examination and other services, particularly to the women and children. We owe it a duty to support our own people, on whose account we were established,“ said General Yahaya.
The Army Chief used the opportunity to call on the people to support the Nigerian Army and all security agencies by giving relevant information that will lead to addressing the security situation in the country.
For the District Head of Mpape Community, Alhaji Ibrahim Abubakar Gimba expressed immense gratitude to the Nigerian Army and said his only perception of the army has always been war, but the kind gesture they brought to the community has shown him the brotherhood side of the army that he has never known.
“Today I have seen that the army is not only for fighting war, but can also take care of our health needs, and in my dialect (Gbagi), the word of appreciation is ‘Magode’, the presence of the Chief of Army Staff in person to flag off this outreach makes the entire community very happy, the population that turned out today is not only Mpape people but neighbouring communities as well,“ said the District Head of Mpape.
The Acting Core Commander, Medical services, Nigerian Army Colonel I.D Solebo oversees the medical outreach while similar outreaches were also carried out by the Nigerian Army Officer’s Wives Association, NAOWA in different communities of the federal capital territory.
The Nigerian Army Day Celebration will climax on Tuesday with a lecture and Chief of Army Staff’s commendation award.
PIAK
