Nigerian Army Distributes Educational Items, Commissions Borehole Project in Nasarawa
Written by Olu Benjamin
Dec 1, 2023. The Nigerian Army has distributed educational items to students and commissioned two water boreholes in communities in Nasarawa state recently ravaged by insecurity challenges.
Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff inaugurated the distribution of educational items and solar powered borehole in Gitata and Taka-Lafia communities both in Gitata district in Karu local government area of Nasarawa state on Friday.
Our correspondent reports tthat Lagbaja represented by the Army’s Director of Operations, Major Gen. Emmanuel Ejim-Emekah was flanked by Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Nigeria’s Army Commander of Guards Brigade and other senior officers from the Army Headquarters.
The entourage were hosted by Lt. Col. Auwalu Inuwa, Commanding Officer (CO) of 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa state and officers and men of the 177 Guards Battalion, Shitu Alao Barracks, Keffi, representatives of bother chairmen of Karu and Keffi LGAs and the Sangarin Gitata, Alhaji Turaki Rabo.
Our correspondent also reports that aside inadequate essential needs like water and educational items for pupils and students in the district, in May 2023, more than 30 farmers including women and children were killed in the district prompting many of the people to flee the district.
Lagbaja expressed sadness over the development and said it was the conditions of the people in the area that prompted the Nigerian Army to carry out an educational outreach programme and commissioning of two boreholes as part of the Army’s Civic Military Cooperation project 2023.
He then called on students of Government Secondary School, Gitata whom are the beneficiaries of the educational support to reciprocate the gesture of the Nigerian Army and the CO
of the Nigerian Army 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi who selected the school for the support.
“You have been encouraged and supported today by the Nigerian Army. The only way you can pay back is to excel in your education,” he said.
At the Taka-Lafia community, Lagbaja while urging the people of the community to make judicious use of the boreholes reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army to the security of the lives and properties in the community and the country at large.
“We sympathize with you over what happened but I am very excited that you have put the past behind you and you are going forward.
“Now that you have returned to the community, we will ensure that our presence will continue to be here and our soldiers come here on patrol once in while,” he said.
He then urged the people to make good use of the two boreholes, one newly constructed and the other rehabilitated, and also praised the CO of 177 Guards Battalion for carefully selecting the community for the intervention giving it’s history of not having access to portable water for more than two decades.
Also speaking, Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Nigeria’s Army Commander of Guards Brigade appreciated the Chief of Army Staff who approved the execution of the projects in the communities.
“He delegated all formations and units of the Nigerian Army to ensure that while we are conducting our operations, we should also carry out Civil Military Cooperation activities that impact the lives of the community.
“I also want to appreciate the Commanding Officer, 177 Guards Battalion whom I asked to check for areas that we will make very positive impact and he informed me of the places he picked which I agreed and these projects here today we’re executed,” he said.
He said the ripple effect of the projects execution, specifically the boreholes is that more people of the community who had fled would gradually return to continue their lives.
He then urged members of the two communities, Gitata and Taka-Lafia both in Gitata district, to ensure that from time to time they provide useful and timely information to security agencies that will enable law and order to be sustained in their environs.
In his address, Inuwa, Commanding Officer, 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi said his team in following up on the directive of the Commander, Guards Brigade to selects places where intervention would be most needed chose Gitata Secondary School because of the high level of dilapidation in the school and lack of educational materials to over 800 students of the school.
He added that the Taka-Lafia community was selected for the water intervention to encourage members of the community who are predominantly farmers and who had fled to return to continue their lives giving the provision of portable water and periodical patrols by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.
“The project is a solar powered borehole with two 3000 litres overhead tanks and also the refurbishing of a manual borehole which has been non functional for over two decades.
“Before today the people of the community had no fresh water in the community. So little wonder the Commander Guards Brigade approved the selection of this community for this project,” he said.
In separate remarks, both Mr James Thomas, Chairman of Karu LGA represented by his deputy, Mr Lawal Karshi and Alhaji Turaki Rabo, Sangarin Gitata appreciated for the essential interventions and prayed to God to continue to sustain the Nigerian Army.
Representatives of the Secondary School in Gitata community and Taka-Lafia community also lauded the efforts of the Nigerian Army and promised to make good use of the education materials and boreholes.
Highlights of the events is the conferment of a title “Jagaban of Gitata” on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja and the naming of a new born baby boy Inuwa after the CO of 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi by parents of the child at Taka-Lafia community. END