Barely 2 days after the conduct of a medical outreach in Ikeji-Ile Community in Osun State, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has extended its free medical services to Mabera Community in Sokoto South Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State. The medical outreach, which commenced today, 6 December 2019, is aimed at enhancing good civil-military relations between the NAF and host communities. The 2-day medical outreach, which is an initiative of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, would offer medical check-ups as well as treatment of malaria, hypertension, diabetes and ulcers along with free dental examination/treatment. Other medical services that would be offered during the exercise include free visual acuity checks and provision of prescription eyeglasses as well as free minor surgical procedures, where necessary.

Flagging-off of the medical outreach, the Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mansur Dan-Iya, who represented the Executive Governor of the State, Rt Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, stated that the event was another milestone in the history of medical outreaches by the NAF. The programme, he said, would no doubt have direct impact on the welfare and wellbeing of the people. He said the entire people and leadership of Sokoto State appreciate the CAS for finding Sokoto worthy of the kind gesture. While observing that the medical outreach would further complement the Government’s efforts to provide healthcare services to the people, the Deputy Governor enjoined the people of Mabera to embrace the opportunity in order to derive maximum benefits.

Earlier in his address, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Charles Ohwo, stated that the NAF, in furtherance of its commitment to give back to its host communities as part of its corporate social responsibility, has continued to intensify its medical outreach programmes by increasing the frequency, scope and scale of medical services provided across the country. According to him, the medical outreach was in a bid to enhance civil military cooperation. “All these efforts by the NAF have endeared communities, to freely and willingly provide useful intelligence that has helped the military to record significant successes in the various theatres of operation it is involved”, he said. He added that about 3,000 individuals within the Mabera Community, which is the host community of 119 Composite Group (119 CG) of the NAF in Sokoto, would benefit from the free quality healthcare services the NAF had to offer.

The people of Mabera Community, who trooped out in large numbers, were grateful to the NAF for the free medical services. The flag-off ceremony was witnessed by Garrison Commander 8 Division, Brigadier General Innocent Olota, Commander 119 CG, Group Captain Yahaya Bashir, Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Inname, Chairman Sokoto South LGA, Honourable Faruk Sayudi, Special Adviser to Sokoto State Government on Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Honourable Abubakar Umar, Special Adviser on Routine Immunization Sokoto Central, Alhaji Abdullahi Hamaali, as well as the District Head of Mabera, Sarkin Yakin Gagi, Alhaji Sanni Umar Jabbi.