The traditional ruler and indigenes of Igboh-Etche community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday commended the Nigeria Army for embarking on educational and medical outreach in the community.
King Samuel Amaechi, the Onyeishi-Agwuru of Igboh-Etche, expressed his joy during the distribution of educational materials to Community Secondary School in Igboh-Etche.
The Nigeria Army is carrying out educational and medical outreach programme in host communities where the Exercise Crocodile Smile 2 is going on.
Amaechi said the community was highly honoured and privileged to host the Nigerian Army in its effort to provide succour for the health and educational needs of residents.
He said: “You are not here to crush an enemy territory, but to provide succour to the health and educational needs of the people of this kingdom.
“I welcome and commend you for providing free medical services to the sick and donation of educational materials to the community school.”
Amaechi said the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, had earlier on October 10 sought the community’s consent to use their land for training for Exercise Crocodile Smile 2.
He said: “In that discussion, they told us about their plan to carry out medical outreach and educational support, and today, they are here fulfilling their promise.
“We shall give you our unflinching support and cooperation because your success is the success of our communities, and we are confident that this understanding is mutual.”
Virginia Woke, the Principal, Senior Section of Community Secondary School Igboh-Etche, also expressed her excitement with the educational materials distributed to the students by the army.
Woke said: “I’m very happy and impressed with what I am seeing here, the Nigerian Army should be appreciated and celebrated.”
In his remarks, Sylvanus Iheanychukwu, Supervising Director of Education, Etche council area, said he was delighted with the exercise and encouraged the army to extend it to other schools.
Iheanyichukwu said the rumour of military carrying vaccination in schools was completely false.
He said: “The military is a very disciplined organization, they can’t do anything without prior notice or permission from the necessary authority.
“With what I have seen here, the preaching by the military against social vices is in the right direction.”
Favour Akugbundu, Senior Prefect, Junior section of the school, said those who did not come to school because of the rumoured vaccine scare had missed a lot from this exercise.
Akugbundu said: “Those of us that are here, we are a witness; we can go home and tell our parents the truth about the military.”
Goodluck Isaiah, a basic eight student, said she was happy to see the army personnel and also receive educational materials from them.
TrustinGod Godstime, Senior Prefect, Senior Section of the school, also thanked the Nigerian Army for coming to the school to present educational materials to support them.
Godstime called on the Rivers Government to come to their aid by providing an environment conducive for learning.
Abigail Onyeche, Principal of the Junior Secondary Section, said that she was grateful to the army for their kind gesture to the students.
Onyeche said that the students came out in their number to receive the materials because they had confidence in the school authority.
The educational materials distributed included 4000 branded exercise books and 1000 Oxford mathematical sets.
In his speech, Major General Rogers Nicholas, Chief of Logistics, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, said the outreach was part of the army’s determination to improve the living standard of host communities.
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