The Nigerian Navy on Thursday donated seven units of boreholes to seven communities in Iseyin, Oyo State, to ease water scarcity.

The communities are Ayedun, Igboleya, Ilado, Ita Epo, Molete, Okeola and Osoogun.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, said the project was another milestone in the Nigerian Navy Civil-Military Cooperation Initiative.

Mr Ogalla, represented by the Chief of Naval Transportation, Rear Admiral Monday Unuohiere, said the project was executed under the Special Intervention Quick Impact scheme of the Nigerian Navy.

Mr Ogalla said that it was the Nigerian Navy’s way of contributing to the federal government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”.

He said, “Under this scheme, an accomplished serving navy officer such as the Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olushola Oluwagbire, a noble son of Iseyin, was given the opportunity to reach his people.’’

He stated that the project was the Nigerian navy’s way of protecting lives and securing the nation’s national heritage.

Mr Ogalla said that the choice of potable water provision to the affected communities would impact positively on the lives and health of the residents.

The chief of naval staff said that the beneficiaries would forever remember the Nigerian Navy and the facilitator for the gesture.

He appealed to the residents to maintain the project for it to serve the desired purpose.

In his remarks, the facilitator of the project, Mr Oluwagbire, said that the inauguration marked a significant milestone in the partnership between the Navy and the people of Iseyin.

He said that the project was one of the initiatives of the Nigerian Navy’s contribution to the development of communities across Nigeria to enhance national security and development.

Mr Oluwagbire said that when the opportunity of the project presented itself, he approached the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola, who identified scarcity of water as the major problem confronting the people of the affected communities.

“Out of the seven communities is a community called Igboleya , where cattle and the people of the community drink from the same water. This borehole is the first industrial borehole in that community,” he said.

Mr Oluwagbire said that a visit to Osoogun, also one of the beneficiary communities and the birthplace of Bishop Ajayi Crowder, the translator of the Holy Bible to the Yoruba language, has one borehole serving the whole community.

The facilitator thanked the chief of naval staff for his leadership style and commitments to impactful projects that would be of maximum benefit to the people at the grass-roots.

He stated, “This is a clear demonstration of the Nigerian Navy’s role in not only ensuring security but also the well-being of Nigerians.”

He advised the communities to take full ownership of the project by sustaining it.

The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola and the lawmaker representing iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kojola and Iwajowa Constituency at the House of Representatives, Oyedeji Oyeshina, appealed for judicious use of the boreholes.

Mr Oyebola called on those in positions of authority to emulate the officer by giving back to their communities.

(NAN)