Rivers Community Lauds Navy Over Free Medical Outreach, Donation of Education Materials

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Ozuoba Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has commended the Nigerian Navy for a free medical outreach and donation of education materials for residents of the community.

Paramount ruler of Akpor Kingdom, Eze Levi Orlu-Oriebe, at the event held at Ozuoba Town Hall, hailed the Nigerian Navy for the philanthropic gesture, describing it as a blessing.

The Akpor monarch prayed God to continue to bless the Nigerian Navy, Akpor Kingdom, Obio/Akpor and Rivers State at large, assuring continuous relationship between the host communities and the Navy.

One of the residents of the  community, who disclosed her name as Rita Emmanuel and benefited from the outreach  praised the Nigerian Navy for their effort and pleaded that it should be sustained.

“I thank God for them (the Navy). For them to remember us today, God bless them. Please let them be remembering us like this, we’re happy,” she said.

Another resident, Uche Woke noted that the initiative would encourage literacy in Akpor and boost both education and health.

“We are happy that the Nigeria Navy brought this free medical mission and educational materials to Akpor, this will further encourage literacy in Akpor and also boast education and health of the people,” he added.

It was gathered at the event that the Nigerian Navy Hospital Borikiri and Nigerian Navy Secondary School Port Harcourt conducted the free medical, educational outreach as part of the Navy’s 2025 end of year activities.

The outreach according to the Command was in furtherance of the Nigerian Navy’s mission of promoting the healthcare of citizens of its host communities.

The programme featured health awareness lecture on hypertension, career talks, free medical consultation, free eye test, dental check-ups, free drugs, deworming of children, vaccinations and Vitamin A administration.

Residents were also given free mosquito nets, tooth pastes, tooth brushes, eye glasses, branded exercise books, textbooks and writing materials.

In his remarks, Commander, Nigerian Navy Hospital Borikiri, Surg. Capt. Magnus Elendu, reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to supporting its host communities.

Elendu represented by Cdr. Samuel Uchenna said the medical outreach, jointly with an educational support programme for school children in the area, was part of the Navy’s Corporate Social Responsibility and end-of-the year activities.

He said, “The Nigerian Navy regularly organise outreaches to host communities in her efforts to enhance robust civil-military cooperation. The Nigerian Navy’s commitment to her corporate social responsibility is a key priority in the vision of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral I. Abbas which aims at synergy and addressing basic concerns of the Nigerian Navy host communities.”

He explained that the Nigerian Navy has outlined several programmes to mark end of the year activities, stressing that the outreach was organised as part of the activities and also to serve Navy’s CSR objective.

According to him Ozuoba Community’s socio-economic relevance to national development informed the choice as the venue for the 2025 medical outreach.

“Ozuoba Community was chosen for this year’s medical and educational rhapsody because of her social and economic relevance to national development as well as her peaceful co-existence with the Nigerian Navy.

The outreach is meant to provide free primary health care services and some selected secondary health care services to the wonderful people of this community and beyond. Furthermore, educational materials will be distributed to our children,” Elendu stated.

He urged the people of Ozuoba and its environs to take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the medical and educational outreach to improve their health and brighten the academic future of their children.

Elendu further expressed the hope that the exercise would deepen the existing cordial relationship between the Nigerian Navy and Ozuoba Community.