A trip with the Navy into community relations
Despite their own daunting challenges in terms of lack of funds for advance professional training and for refurbishing of aging fleet of ships, fighter jets and other hardware, they most often think beyond themselves. During the celebration of their anniversaries this year, the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy devoted larger chunks of their resources […]
Despite their own daunting challenges in terms of lack of funds for advance professional training and for refurbishing of aging fleet of ships, fighter jets and other hardware, they most often think beyond themselves.
During the celebration of their anniversaries this year, the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy devoted larger chunks of their resources to cater for the well being of the less-privileged, the orphans, the communities and the elderly people in the communities.
In April 2011 when NAF marked its 47th anniversary in Cross River State for instance, much of the celebrations had the people in its focus. Clearly, it was not to feign their love for those less endowed but to show degree of concern, and to emphasise the need for other corporate entities, including the wealthy to similarly demonstrate large-heartedness.
Touched by the plight of the abandoned children and the orphans, the head of the Air Force in the State, Air Commodore Olu Ogunjobi used the NAF week to demonstrate practical affection to the depraved. He had led his officers and men to the Jesus’ Infant Orphanage run by the Catholic Church located on Bateba Street in Calabar to practically demonstrate their concern by donating tones of food items, beverage, clothes, detergent and fat envelopes to these ones.
Speaking at the occasion, wife of the former NAF chieftain, Mrs Bernadette Edem (whose husband is a retired Air Vice Marshall Emmanuel Edem) said “the military is usually thought of as group of men without human milk or men with difficult mind whose stock-in-trade is to kill at will, but I can tell you sincerely that unknown to many majority of them are fathers and are always more touched and sensitive to human feelings than the civilians.”
The NAF boys had also visited popular markets in Calabar and helped to clean them up. “This cleaning exercise is not just to mark our week anniversary, but we shall donate sanitation implements to the Calabar Urban Development Agency (CUDA) and shall from time to time actually join in the sanitation exercise as a way of bolstering community relationship”, Ogunjobi said.
Also practically emphasizing on this type of relationship, the Flag Officer Commanding the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Usman Jibril commissioned a borehole in Ikot Ambai Offion in the Akpabuyo LGA of Cross River State. This particular resource, water, was a huge problem to this and neighbouring communities, so that the people would travel great distance to fetch water from the stream. Others were actually drinking from hand-dug wells that are infested.
Rear Admiral Jibril said, “This noble contribution is part of the Navy’s effort in complementing the state government developmental project and also aimed at fostering good relationship and to appreciate the hospitality of our host community as we mark our 55th anniversary.”
He also sympathized with Ikot Ambai Offiong over the dearth of this natural resource which he said is absolutely necessary and essential for human existence. “there is therefore no price too high to pay to ensure the provision of portable water to these good people”, he said, adding that similar projects have also been executed by his Command in Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State and Banda in Kogi State.
But why has the Command concentrated its largess and projects in Cross River State alone? Jibril said, “Since our being in the state, we have identified Akpabuyo, Essien Town, Ikot Ansa as home to the Nigerian Navy.”
This is why we returned to the Ikot Ansa Community again because we were well received these past three years when we discharged our social responsibility to the people, Jibril said when the Navy put much smiles on the people’s faces when they conducted free medical services, donated drugs, treated thousands of people, de-wormed children, conducted free TB, HIV/AIDs, eye tests and gave expert talk and consultation last Tuesday.
A community leader, Mrs Helen Archibong Ansa in her 70s who spoke at the occasion, said “These soldiers, they have done well by always coming here every year to treat us and myself in particular. I suffer from joint pains especially at my knees and I have received many drugs, and these would have cost me huge some of money at the pharmacy.”
She also said that the people are very happy, “Look at the huge turn out. Even God himself is happy at this kind gesture. I can tell you that the people are very happy with the Navy.”
Does this constant public kindness not impact against the finances of the force in view of its abundant need for regular training abroad, the need to upgrade or purchase new armament and fund other internal demands?
“No, it does not really affect our capital funding”, replied Commanding Officer of NNS Damisa, Navy Captain Lateek Kolawole Jimoh who invited the public to a sea cruise as part of the Navy’s 55th anniversary celebration.
“It is our joy to do this! Even though we are of the military yet we are part and parcel of the society. Our children, our family members and close friends will benefit as well. So it is not out of place, and we are not wasting funds. Once awhile, it is good to set a day, a time aside to rejoice with others, particularly the less privileged”, he said. Perhaps on this note when the public was invited for a sea cruise by the NNS Victory Base (formerly NNS Anansa); the Navy dazed them with entertainment and excitement.
On the essence of the sea cruise, Jimoh said it will enable the public to assess our ships, see our fighting spirit and capability and also understand the sea hazards we put up with. Members of the public that turned up for the cruise were taken into and showed round the NNS Damisa, a warship built in 1982, according to Jimoh but now in need of much attention having spent three years and seven months in active military operation in Liberia and other foreign missions.
The Damisa did not actually take the people to the sea as promised, and so they never witnessed the fighting spirit and capability, and they did not equally get to see the high sea except the Calabar waterways now endangered by deadly activities of sea pirates. It was rather one of the two newly acquired gunboats, Oryx 36 and two other gunboats that were used.
To show that they are not just the major beneficiaries of Nigeria’s financial resources, the Nigerian Armed Forces are also leading in the establishment of schools, welfare and other socially-impacted centres where good number of civilians are benefiting.
At a recent Nigerian Army ‘Study Period’ lecture organized by 82 Division, Brigadier General Shehu Yusuf, Commanding officer of NA 13 Brigade disagreed with those who insist that the military are the major consumer of national resources, “Many Nigerians do not know. Yet, we are the major contributors to the Federation Account through our earnings from the United Nations, etc as a result of our many foreign operations. It is wrong for Nigerians to hold such misconception.”
If it is true that they are also contributing to the national treasury and at the same time spare time for the less privileged, let others, including the mega-churches, blue-chip firms and small-time businesses learn some lessons from these soldiers?