As part of activities to mark the 2020 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Friday inaugurated a Civic Centre at Uhonmora-Ora Community in Owan West Local Government area of Edo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Civic Centre was remodeled and completed by the Nigerian Army as one of its civil-military cooperation projects to the community.
Represented by Maj.-Gen Johnson Olawumi, Commander, Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Buratai said he believed that the centre would further consolidate the synergy between the Army and the community.
He also said that the need to remodel and complete the centre was borne out of the importance of civic centres to communities as convenient and conducive places for meetings and social gatherings.
He said that the centre would be very significant in this era of COVID-19.
He explained that it was when social distancing and restriction in numbers for gatherings of persons were some of the measures and protocol instituted by the Federal and state government to curtail the spread of the virus.
Buratai, therefore, urged the community to maintain, protect and ensure judicious use of the facility.
In his remarks, the traditional ruler of the community, Chief Wilson Ochei, commended the Army for the gift of the facility to the community.
Ochei said the project would no doubt contribute to social and economic advancement of the community.
According to him, it will be used for meetings where far reaching deliberations and decisions for the betterment of the community will be held.
He also said that the community couldn’t have asked for a better gift in this period of COVID-19, and gave the assurance that the facility would be well maintained and protected.
He further appealed to the Army to sustain the synergy and collaboration with the community adding that the community was peaceful and peace loving.
NAN reports that dignitaries at the inauguration were Maj.-Gen Joel Unuigbe, Chief of Logistics in the Army; Maj.-Gen Dickson Ehiorobo, Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,
Others were Brig.-Gen Usman Bello, the Brigade Commander 4, Benin, as well as members of the community.
