Nigeria Army provides water supply to Gadam, Gombe State community

As part of its efforts to enhance civil-army relations, the Nigeria Army has rehabilitated and commissioned a borehole in Gadam, Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya explained that the project was part of Army’ s Corporate Social Responsibility, aimed at appreciating Nigerians for the support given to the Military in the course of carrying out their constitutional responsibilities.

Represented by Commander Armour Corp, the Chief of Army Staff said the project was introduced to provide support to senior military officers from the ranks of Major General, and as such, the Gadam Water Scheme was carried out in honour of Major General Hassan Tafida who is from the area.

The Chief of Military- Civil Affairs, Maj. General MG Kangye, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Jos, Plateau State, Major General A. B Ibrahim, said the event was to handover the Gadam Water scheme executed by the Army for the good people of Gombe State.

According to him, the Army takes deliberate steps to ensure it gives back to the people, through their corporate Social Responsibility, which helps in fostering relations between the Army and Nigerians.

Commissioning the borehole on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Gombe State Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, commended the gesture of the Army in seeking to provide succour to Nigerians, in spite of their constitutional responsibilities of defending the country against external aggression.

The Deputy Governor said the Governor Yahaya led administration attached a lot of priority to the health of the people, in which water played a prominent role in the provision of quality health, through the Gombe water scheme.

Dr. Jatau, elaborated the state established health clinics functioning 24 hours in all the 114 political/electoral wards of the state and other numerous health programmes introduced for the improvement of people’s health, sanitation and environment.

He, however, lamented that in many cases, the importance of water had been taken for granted over the years, because the reality remain that water is central to every human activity.

Dr. Jatau said it was based on the importance of water that the germane and highly commendable Gadam Water Project was being executed.

He said the Gombe State Government was aware of the numerous diseases, illness and health challenges that human beings face due to water shortage in a community, thereby highly commending the gesture of the army, aimed at helping the state as it tries to make water available to all residents in Gombe.

” The current expansion of the Gombe Water Scheme, that is a 70% – 30% partnership between the State and Federal Government is yet another move by the state to provide basic amenities to its residents. It is interesting therefore that the military, a core security organization saw the need and importance to embark on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) whereas many civil organizations are yet to comprehend the essence of CSR. This decision and action by the Military is a great challenge to Military, Para-military or even civil organizations to do likewise,” Dr. Jatau said.

He said the Gombe State Government was ever ready to partner, support and encourage ventures taken by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, while calling on other organizations and individuals to help states in their desire to develop.

“Since it is obvious that states are unable to cope with the numerous and emerging challenges. It is against this back drop that I most sincerely thank DICON, the Ministry of Defence and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the extension of this activity to Gombe State. The State needs these because of growing population,” said the Gombe State Deputy Governor.

He urged the beneficiaries in Gadam community, to take good care of this project as their own, by dipping their buckets at stipulated points to ensure that project was well maintained to serve the population.

The Director, Defence Industry Cooperation of Nigeria, DICON, Major General Hassan Tafida, appreciated the gesture by the Chief of Army Staff, for his benevolence, which had provided succour to the people of Gadam by mitigating the effect of perennial water problem in the area.

He said, Gadam became a beneficiary of the program through his nomination by the Chief of Army Staff for the first quarter of the year 2023.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Gadam Community Association, Mr. Haruna Mamuda, said the community was grateful to the Chief of Army Staff and the key players for contributing to the success of the water scheme.