By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) personnel have undertaken a clean-up of Abakpa market and Nike road drains in Abakpa community, near Enugu, on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NAF personnel, who cleaned and carted away refuse for over three hours, hired a truck to properly evacuate them to the state’s dumpsite.
The Commander, NAF 553 Base Services Group, Enugu, Air Commodore Paul Masiyer, told NAN that the exercise was part of NAF’s corporate social responsibilities meant to build civil-military relationship.
Masiyer said that NAF had remained at the fore-front of adding value and well being to its host communities and neighbouring communities in its areas of operations nationwide.
“The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said it is mandatory that each NAF base or formation adds value and contributes positively to its host and neighbouring communities where it operates,” he said.
The Chairman, Abakpa Market Areas Association, Chief Henry Ugwu, lauded the NAF personnel for choosing the market as centre point of their clean-up exercise.
“We were so surprise this morning to see hundreds of Nigeria Air Force officers and men cleaning up and de-silting roads and drains in the entire market area.
“It is unprecedented in the history of the market for the military to come to serve the people directly,’’ Ugwu said.
He revealed that the traders also cleaned up the market every last Friday of the month.
A resident of Abakpa, Mr John Agu, thanked NAF for helping to control infections, especially malaria, through the clean-up exercise. (NAN)