The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the Nigerian Army would sustain its partnership with communities close to its formations in cleaning the environment across the country.
Buratai said this when he led officers and soldiers to clear refuse dumps along the Abuja-Keffi expressway in commemoration of the 2016 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) at Nyanya on Saturday.
He said the joint regular environmental sanitation would also boost the army’s relations with the public.
The army chief said it would mobilise logistics and men at specified times to support the cleaning of the environment.
“Environment is very important to our wellbeing, so we want to convey this message that if we want to live healthy lives we must keep our environment clean.
“Chairman of Nyanya Market Traders Association and the chief of Nyanya are here with us. And with this collaboration; the civil military relations that we have always strived to uphold will be boosted.
“We protect them in the battle filed against adversaries and we also collaborate with them to keep the environment clean so that they will understand that we are indeed their army.
“This is something that we do regularly across the country as part of our civil military relations and our contribution to a healthy environment’’, he said.
Chief Enoch Jiaba, the Sarkin Pada of Nyanya, expressed gratitude to the military for restoring the pride of Nyanya.
He said since the bombings that occurred in the area, Nyanya was seen as a place associated with terror and criminals.
“If you look at the days past, Nyanya has witnessed its share of the bombings and since then Nyanya had not known anything good.
“The area has not witnessed any coming of dignitaries on issues that will move the area forward; they only come here on issues concerning the bombings.
“So, we are happy with what the army is doing now.’’
Chairman of Nyanya Market Traders Association, Mr Ahmed Sadique said the development portrayed the army in a different light as traders and commuters would now see the army as partners in progress.
According to him, this partnership on environmental sanitation with the military of today is commendable and a step in the right direction.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that officers and soldiers of the Army Headquarters and formations around Abuja participated in the environmental sanitation.