2nd July, 2011
As part of activities marking this year’s Nigeria Army Day celebration, the 32 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, Ogun State has embarked on sanitation of the town and offering free medical test for the people in the Abeokuta metropolis.
P.M.NNEWS learnt that the command had trooped out as early as 7am today to sweep, weed and keep the surrounding clean while the medical team went to the Post Office roundabout to attend to people.
Speaking with newsmen, the Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Brig. Gen. Moddibo Abubakar Alkali said this is part of their contribution to the society and to correct some misconceptions people have about the army.
He said: “this is part of the activities marking this year’s Nigerian Army day. We are doing this to project capacity, capability and success of Nigerian Army. We want people to see us as part of them and correct some misconceptions they have about us.
“We are not for war alone, we are
for peace also and today’s activities must have demonstrated so. People should stop looking at Nigerian Army as terrible people, they should feel free to interact with us and come to us for anything they may need our assistance.”
Alkali maintained that the Army are Nigerians like the civilians and people should not see them as a wicked.
“We are using this opportunity to bring the people closer to us and to support where necessary Nigerian Police to provide adequate security for the people, and to also project the image and success of the Nigerian Army.”
The Medical Director of the Brigade, Major(Dr). Oludare Oni hinted that the exercise is meant to bring awareness of basic health needs to the people,stressing that their neighbouring communities have been benefiting from this exercise for quite a long time.
Dr.Oni said,”We are looking at basic health of the people like checking the blood pressure(BP), checking their weight and other ailments. We have liaised with some hospitals both public and private ones to be of assistance to us in the area of giving adequate treatment for any emergency that may arise. We have standby ambulance in place.”
Major Oni commended the turnout which he described as encouraging, pointing to the fact that enough sensitisation has been carried out around the city.
He stated that two persons from the Alamala community are currently on admission in their ward at the barracks.
The programme will come to an end on Wednesday with a National Parade slated for Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta