•Urges indigenes to utilise NNS health facilities
By Idongesit Ashameri - Uyo
The Eastern Naval Command has urged Ikot Abasi Community to access healthcare facilities at its NNS Jubilee Sick Bay in the area.
This is part of its corporate social responsibility to the community.
Rear Admiral Obiora Medani, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Eastern Naval Command stated this on Wednesday during a familiarization tour to NNS Jubilee Naval Base in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
As the host community, Medani said that Ikot Abasi community deserves health facilities in the Nigerian Navy Base.
“The Navy is Nigerian Navy, it belongs to the Nigerian people. Without the Nigerian people, the Nigerian Navy will not have any meaning; we will be like fish out of water .
“The Ikot Abasi community that has hosted us deserves whatever we can do for them and our limited health facilities will help to improve the community health,’’ he said. He expressed optimism that the host community would not abuse the security implications.
The commanding officer said bringing healthcare to the host community was a way of also extending concern to their well-being.
“ A child is sick and the mother has to trek 2km when they can walk in here and receive some level of healthcare.
I think that I will allow the child to be treated here than allowing the child to die because the healthcare is not near them. We want to work in harmony with the host community. We want them to see that we are part of them and we want them to share so that they will also share what they have with us”. he said.
Medani who assured that the Nigerian Navy would continue to work in harmony with the host community to achieve its objectives, promised to address criminality in the Nigeria water ways, adding that his administration would fight crude oil theft to a standstill.
“I will do everything within my reach to fight criminality in Nigeria water ways,’’ he said.
He expressed appreciation for the facilities on ground, saying that there was evidence of progress in the base to improve their environment.
In his remark, Comdr. Joel Ogazi, Commander NNS Jubilee Base, Ikot Abasi said that oil bunkering had reduced drastically in the area and promised to sustain the tempo.
“If there is need for me to improve on it, that I will do but presently we don’t have much oil bunkerers in the area,’’ he said.