The Nigerian Army (NA) carried out a one-day medical outreach on Monday, July 3, 2023, in Mapo Hall, Oja Oba Community, Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2023 (NADCEL), to offer the neighborhood’s desperately needed medical services.
Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, thanked the citizens of Ibadan for their ongoing support of the Nigerian Army at the flag-off event. He noted that the decision to choose the Oja Oba Community for the medical outreach was an act of reciprocity with the neighborhood for its assistance and support in carrying out the NA’s constitutional responsibility.
The Chief of Transformation and Innovations Army (COTI), Major General Zakari Abubakar, spoke on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff and emphasized that the medical outreach was a part of the celebration of the 160th anniversary of the Nigerian Army. He informed the neighborhood that the NA was dedicated to keeping a solid and friendly connection with the populace.
Pastor Emmanuel Olawale, the chairman of the Ibadan South East Local Government Area, thanked the Nigerian Army in his vote of thanks for their thoughtful action. He praised the community’s joy at the presence of the NA’s medical staff and their offer of free medical care. He praised the Army for its efforts to protect people’s lives and property in Ibadan and the area around it.
Many locals attended the medical outreach and took advantage of the chance to receive various medical services. The medical staff of the NA performed examinations and treated disorders like high blood pressure, diabetes, dental difficulties, heart conditions, vision problems, and other health issues. Additionally, free medical exams were provided. The NA also provided free wheelchairs, crutches, eyeglasses, medications, and other supplies to people with physical limitations. To increase community awareness of substance addiction, health presentations and counseling sessions were held.
Distinguished guests attended the event, including His Royal Majesty Oba Olalekan Balogun, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Major General Victor Onumajuru, the Chief of Special Services and Programmes and Chairman of NADCEL 2023, Major General Takuti Usman, the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, and other Principal Staff Officers from Army Headquarters.
In addition to providing crucial healthcare services, the Nigerian Army’s medical outreach program in the Oja Oba Community in Ibadan also strengthened ties between the NA and the local neighborhood. This program illustrates the NA’s adherence to its constitutional responsibility and to the welfare and well-being of the Nigerian people.