By: Felix Ikpotor
Widows, orphans from communities in Eleme local government area of Rivers State have appreciated the Nigeria Army for donating palliatives, books and other items to them.
They spoke when the 29 Battalion, Nigeria Army, Rivers State visited the area to donate the items.
The gesture, the army said is part of its military-civilian cooperation aimed at curbing crime and criminality in the state in conjunction with sister security agencies, community leaders and critical stakeholders.
Speaking at the occasion, paramount ruler of Ebubu Community, HRH, Emere Goya Chinwi praised the army for bringing palliatives to the community.
“We thank the military for this gesture. Their work here has gone beyond mere security to assisting in palliatives and other things and the community have loved them.
The gifts you have given to the windows today marks another stage of your support for the community,” he said.
A widow who benefitted from the gesture, Mrs Aken Charity said the gifts they have received from the army will go along way to alleviate their plight.
“I thank the Army, God bless them for bringing food for us because we have never seen this kind of thing before, before they use to come but I have never seen them give us food or palliatives, so I thank them so much,” she said.
Mr Nkara Barine, Principal UBE, Community Secondary School Ebubu, one of the benefitting schools expressed gratitude at the gesture and prayed for more for less privileged students in the area.
“This single effort means a lot to us, especially those who don’t have notebooks and they have the privilege of getting one today. We want more but this one that you have done, we will use it judiciously,” he said.
Commanding Officer, 29 Battalion Nigeria Army, Lt.Col Ishiaya Manga while speaking at Ebubu Community in Eleme during the distribution of the palliatives, said the initiative is part of the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja’s Exercise Still Water 3 programme aimed at cementing military- civilian relationship.
He said the army decided to appreciate communities that have supported their operation since the inception of the Exercise Still Water 3.
“It would be recalled that on 13th October 2023, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja flagged-off Exercise Still Water 3, the exercise is designed to get rid of criminal activities within Rivers State and other security agencies are also involved in the exercise, community leaders and other critical stakeholders are also involved.
We have seen that using the kinetic approach would not guarantee the success of this exercise that is why the non-kinetic approach was adopted.
“The non-kinetic which involves traditional rulers, locals and other stakeholders who have supported since the commencement of this exercise has made us to identify them to show our appreciation and inline with that philosophy of the COAS, General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj. Gen. Jamal Abdussalam has directed us to select some of those less privileged homes, those vulnerable communities and extend our hands of non kinetic activities. Apart from the palliatives, we have also distributed 10,000 exercise books to about seven secondary schools in the state”, he said.
He listed the schools to include Community secondary school Ebubu, Township Model Primary School 1&2, World Book Capital Primary School and St Cyprian’s State School.
Others are Community Secondary School Egberu, Ndoki, Community Secondary School Anyama and Community Secondary School Okoloma all in Oyigbo council, Junior Model Secondary Isiokpo in Ikwerre LGA, and also Community Secondary School, Bille.
Manga said the army has also organised football competition, swimming competition, quiz competition amongst schools in Bille community in Degema local government area.
” All these is aimed at achieving civil-military cooperation because we believe that the fight against oil theft, cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery cannot be effectively dealt with using the kinetic approach because you need information to execute your operation and you can only get the information through civil-military participation, because those criminals live within the community, so by doing this you can draw their attention and their support,” he stated.
Places visited includes Community Secondary School Ebubu and Love Crucified Charity Home, Aleto all in Eleme local government area.
