Succour came the way of the people of Imoore, a riverine community in the Oriade Local Council Development area (LCDA) as Nigerian Navy reached out to 350 households in the community with palliatives necessary for them to survive the harsh economy that was occasioned by the novel coronavirus.
The officials of the force from the Western Naval Command distributed bags of rice, beans, noodles vegetable oil, condiments and face mask.
Rear Adm. Oladele Daji, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC) represented the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, at the event which was initiated to mark the 64th anniversary of the force as a marine unit tasked with the responsibility of protecting the country maritime environment.
Admiral Daji said that the gesture was a display of empathy and selfless service by the Navy to the host community as well as the cordial civil-military relationship for peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence.
He said: “We made provision to reach at least 350 households. We have beans, rice, you know that the children love noodles, vegetable oil, condiments, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like face masks.”
Daji said that Imoore was chosen because of the cordial relationship between the community and the Navy, adding that, “we picked this community because this is the host community to Navy Town. Navy Town is the largest naval barrack in Nigeria.
“It was this community that gave us the land to establish that barracks even before I was born.’’
The FOC, while appreciating members of the public for their support, also appealed to other residents of Lagos to cooperate with the force and other security agencies in fighting criminalities.