Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Faruk Yahaya, on Monday urged Nigerians to continue to show its support and take ownership of the Nigerian Army.
General Yahaya said during the flag off of a free medical outreach in commemoration of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2021 at Mpape Community, Bwari Area Council, Abuja that Nigerians should be proud of their Army and demonstrate this by doing everything possible to support NA operations across the country.
He further reiterated that the NA under his leadership will continue to maintain excellent relationship with law abiding citizens.
While flagging off the exercise, the COAS said the medical outreach was part of NA’s corporate social responsibility aimed at giving back to the society.
He used the opportunity to call on the community members and indeed all Nigerians to continue to provide credible information in support of ongoing operations to clamp down on criminal elements.
He revealed that the free medical outreach is taking place concurrently across all NA’s formations and units across the country.
Earlier in his remarks, the Acting Corps Commander Medical, Colonel Idris Solebo, said the choice of Mpape Community in the Federal Capital Territory was deliberate, adding that it was in anticipation of the huge number of beneficiaries in the area.
Colonel Solebo further disclosed that the community will benefit significantly from free medical services ranging from blood pressure checks, free medical and dental consultation, free eye screening and issuing of corrective lenses.
Also included among the range of services were free breast examination to check for breast lesions and masses, free cervical cancer screening/cryotherapy treatment, free blood glucose check, free prostate cancer screening and free drugs for common disease conditions.
Colonel Solebo also noted that free wheel chairs and mosquito nets would be distributed, acknowledging the support of an NGO – Working Together Health Foundation, for offering their services in the area of cancer screening.
He said it was projected that over one thousand people were expected to benefit from the free medical outreach. Same services were equally extended to the residents of Mabushi Community.
The District Head of Mpape Community, His Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Gimba, expressed his appreciation to the COAS and the NA for choosing Mpape Community for NADCEL 2021 free medical outreach.
He said the free medical outreach will go a long way in addressing some medical challenges confronting residents of the community. He assured the COAS of the support of the community.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of wheel chairs to 93 years old Mrs Fatu Umagba and physically challenged youth, Mr Garba Ayuba, while mosquito nets were issued to other members of the community by the COAS.