Segun Babatunde in Bauchi
The Nigerian Army Armour Corp(NAAC) in Bauchi state has carried out sanitation and clean up of streets and evacuation of refuse dumps in the state capital as part of activities to mark its 2021 Combat Arms Training Week(CAT).
Our Correspondent reports that the soldiers led by the commander of the Armour Corp, Major General Muhammed Magaji, swept and cleaned up major streets such as the Maiduguri bye pass, Yandoka round about, GRA roads,Ramat House/Government House,among others and evacuated heaps of refuse dumps at Bayan Gari area of Bauchi metropolis.
Speaking with journalists in an interview during the exercise, Major General Muhammed Magaji said that the military has a constitutional role to protect Nigerians from external aggression and give civil – military cooperation through quick impact projects such as the construction of roads, bridges, rehabilitation of schools and provision of medical services to communities.
He said that the Army partnered with the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) to evacuate the waste products during the sanitation exercise, adding that the sanitation exercise was part of activities of the CAT week in order for the Army to contribute its quota in keeping the state capital clean.
According to him, “Today, we are kick-starting our Combats Arms Training week. Bauchi is the home of the armour. One of the serious problems in Bauchi is the issue of environmental sanitation. The sanitation is in line with the cvil/military cooperation. We have been giving back to the society by building roads, bridges and offering medical services”
“Other activities scheduled to take place during the CAT week, according to Magaji are lectures, commissioning of projects by the chief of Army Staff and fire power demonstration between the infantry and the armoured units of the corps” he said
Also Speaking, the State Director General Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), Dr Ibrahim Kabir, commended the Nigerian Army under the leadership of the commandant, for the sanitation exercise, saying that the Agency has been having consultations with the army for the past one week.
“For the past 12 months, the general public has been seeing what we have been doing in terms of keeping the state clean. This is one of the activities that would create more awareness on sanitation in the state. We are working with the traditional institutions in the state to instill attitudinal change on members of the communities in regards to sanitation” he said
Other activities scheduled to take place during the CAT week according to Magaji are lectures, commissioning of projects to be done by the chief of army staff and fire power demonstration between the infantry and the armoured units of the corps. END