Kebbi: Navy Commissions Solar-Powered Borehole
On Thursday, the Nigerian Navy commissioned a solar-powered motorised borehole project in Kaoje, the Bagudo Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi State.
Given the topographical challenge of accessing essential water in the state, Rear Admiral Hamza Farouk Kaoje, a native of the community, undertook the project with a capacity of 80,000 litres.
Kaoje is the Navy’s Chief of Communication and Information Technology.
The initiative is a part of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Special Intervention Quick Impact Projects to strengthen civil-military relations and improve access to clean water.
Speaking during the commissioning, CNS Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla noted that such impactful projects are targeted to honour accomplished senior officers by offering them the opportunity to touch lives at the grassroots.
The CNS was represented by Rear Admiral Monday Unuhiere, Chief of Naval Transformation.
“On the other hand, the Navy leverages them to convey to Nigerians that we are committed to innovating to serve additional socio-economic needs of Nigerians,” the CNS noted.
The CNS commended Kaoje for not only identifying a critical need but also completing the borehole project on schedule, thereby upholding the Navy’s Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC).
Speaking at the event, the Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, described the availability of water as a first step to poverty alleviation.
Represented by the State’s Commissioner for Water Resources, Bello Kaoje, the governor expressed his confidence that the initiative would curtail the incidences of waterborne diseases in the state.
He also expressed optimism in the project to improve sanitation, personal hygiene and income generation, thereby enhancing the socio-economic well-being of the people.
To ensure a sustained maintenance of the project, the governor noted the need to involve stakeholders from the State Policy Makers to Operators and Water Users.
“There is a need to create the enabling environment that will make the operators to perform their duties as required and for the water users to optimally contribute to the running cost of the facilities within their affordability,” Idris said.
On his part, Kaoje, while conveying his delight in accomplishing such a feat, assured that the project would serve as a reminder of the commitment of the Nigerian Navy towards engendering peace, security and cooperation with security agencies.
The ceremony ended with a formal tape-cutting and a renewed commitment by community stakeholders to safeguard and sustain the newly commissioned water facility.
On April 3, the Nigerian Navy commissioned seven ultra-modern boreholes, including one in Ajayi Crowther’s Hometown in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Facilitated by Rear Admiral Olushola, the project aimed to ease the scarcity of water in the benefitted communities: Ayedun, Igboleya, Ilado, Ita Epo, Molete, Okeola and Osoogun.
On February 26, THE WHISTLER reported the commissioning of a newly constructed hostel block of four rooms for handicapped children in the Tudun Maliki Area of Kano State.
The project facilitator, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, an indigene of Tudun Maliki and a senior research fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre, Abuja, said the project would help handicapped children access quality education and skill development to achieve their full potential and participate in society.
The Nigerian Navy has made deliberate efforts to expand the civil-military cooperation across the theatres of operation through such projects.
Kebbi: Navy Commissions Solar-Powered Borehole is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
