Tony Icheku in Owerri
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has launched a new phase of Nigeria Navy’s military-civil cooperation in Umuokoro Lowa Uboma in Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, through the inauguration of a town hall and a 5,000 KVA transformer.
The project was attracted to the community by Rear Admiral Michael Igwe, the Director of Weapon Electrical Engineering at Naval Headquarters and an illustrious son of the community.
Speaking at the event, Vice Admiral Abbas explained that civil-military cooperation encompasses activities and interactions between the military and civil society toward accomplishing strategic military objectives.
The CNS, who was represented by the Chief of Naval Transformation and Innovation, Rear Adm. Chijioke Onyemaobi, noted that the infrastructure drive is a core part of the Navy’s Special Quick Impact Project launched in 2024 to honour accomplished senior officers through impactful community development.
Abbas emphasised that the project directly aligns with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. “Convinced that this project will enhance the quality of lives, I believe the Nigerian Navy will certainly not be hurriedly forgotten,” he stated, while urging the community to use the facilities responsibly and maintain strong collaboration with security agencies to enhance collective national well-being.
In his remarks, the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, commended President Bola Tinubu’s transformational leadership and continued support of the Armed Forces. Represented by his deputy, Mrs. Chinyere Ekomaru, the governor lauded the Navy’s leadership for the intervention, stating, “This gesture reflects a deep commitment to the community, their development, national unity, and an improved standard of living.”
He expressed immense pride in Rear Admiral Igwe’s meritorious service and urged beneficiaries to protect and maintain the facilities.
Earlier in his welcome speech, Rear Admiral Igwe explained that the interventions directly resolved critical hardships long faced by the Umuokoro and Umunzeduru communities. He revealed that the community had been without electricity for three and a half years due to a faulty transformer that was beyond repair. The newly installed 5,000 KVA transformer, activated two months ago, has successfully restored power to the rural populace and its environs.
Additionally, the project delivered a fully furnished, 80-person capacity Town Hall featuring modern restroom facilities, replacing a dilapidated structure built in the 1970s.
Igwe thanked the CNS for providing the necessary funding, exceptional leadership, and vision to complete the infrastructure in record time.
Reacting to the development, a community leader in the area, Chief Collins Nwachukwu, expressed immense delight over the gesture. He used the occasion to call on the state and federal governments, as well as spirited individuals, to further assist the area by addressing local erosion challenges and the absence of a proper road network.
The ceremony attracted who-is-who in the state including the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Chike Olemgbe and the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Garba Bosso, amongst others
