WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NIGERIAN ARMY IN DISCHARGING ITS RESPONSIBILITIES – CHAIRMAN AHOADA EAST LGA
The Chairman, Ahoada East, Local Government Area (LGA), Rivers State, Chief Barr. Benjamin Israel Eke has pledged continuous support to the Nigerian Army (NA) in the discharge of its constittutional responsibilities. He made the pledge at Model Primary Health Care Centre, Ahoada, when the Commander, 6 Division Garrison/Commander Sector 3, Joint Task Force, South South, Operations DELTA SAFE, Brigadier General Edet Effiong donated some health care apparatus, essential drugs and food items to the sick, needy and widows in Ahaoda.
Speaking further, the Chairman affirmed that over the years, the NA has continued to extend its hand of friendship to the people of Ahoada East LGA, thereby creating an enabling atmosphere for free flow of vital and timely information to curb unscrupulous elements in their communities.
He reiterated that with the level at which 6 Division has shown love to people of Ahoada East, him and his people have no option than to continue to support the NA to get rid of the bad and unwanted eggs in the society, especially this yuletide season. He appreciated the NA for remembering the sick and the needy, adding that this has relieved the council of stress this festive period.
In a related development, the Vice Chairman of Oyigbo LGA, Honorable Juliana Okorie also acknowledged that NA is a loving organisation, that she hitherto perceived as being men of war, owing to the level of benevolence shown to the people of Oyigbo LGA. She made this known at Community Secondary School, Umuakpahu-Oyigbo, Oyigbo LGA, where the Commander 6 Division Garrison donated customized educational materials and food items to both students of the school and some widows in the LGA.
Speaking further, Hon Juliana reiterated that she never in her wildest dream expected the NA to show the level of affection displayed to the civilians, owing to the fact that the notion about the NA has always been dreadful, until she was proved otherwise.
Earlier, the Commander, 6 Division Garrison remarked that the donations were in line with one of the key points of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja’s Command Philosophy, which is sound administration anchored on welfare.
He further affirmed that it is an element of Civil Military Cooperations activities, a way of giving back to the society for their support. He added that it is also part of the annual Exercise STILL WATERS III, recently flagged off by the COAS, aimed at ensuring the year’s yultide is security threat free in the state.
While at the schools, Brigadier General Effiong advised the students to be of good behaviour, stay out drugs and substance abuse, avoid cultisim, other criminal vices. He further charged them to be discipline at all times, adding that discipline is the only thing that can set them on the trajectory of success in life.
Brigadier General Effiong was earlier at Senoir and Junior Community Secondary School, Ogbogbo Town and Government Girls’ Secondary School Ukumgba-Ama Ogoloma as well as the Palace of His Royal Majesty, King Emmanuel TI Obigibo, Ikwuo the V, the Paramount Ruler of Ogoloma Kingdom all in Okrika LGA of Rivers State, where he paid homage and distributed palliatives to widows.
He also visited Daughters of Charity of St Vincent De Paul, De Marillac Centre (Home for Street Children), Mile II Diobu, Port Harcourt, and donated Sewwing Machines for some of the children who are learning tailoring skill, food items and cleaning agents. He enjoined them to continue to be law abiding in order to be greater than him in future, adding that the prayer of every father is to see their children greater.
Reverened Sister Theresa Antigha while thanking the NA, on behalf of the Reverend Sister in Charge of the home, Rev Sister Josephine Okwori expressed profound gratitutude to God Almighty, saying that it is a thing of joy that officers and men of the NA visited them, stressing that it is through the support of the good people of Nigeria like what 6 Division NA has done that the Home is able to strive and train the children even up to University level. She therefore prayed that God will continue to guide and direct the leadership and the entire NA.
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries of the palliatives and educational materials thanked the GOC and his men for putting food on their tables, adding that they have never seen such happen in their communities.
Some other items donated and distributed to students, the sick, needy and widows included stethoscope, visual aid apparatus, adult weighing scale, essential drugs of different types, food items like bags of rice, cartons of noodles, bags of semolina among several other items.