Group provides borehole for 1000 nomadic school pupils

 and pupils of Government Normadic Primary School during the event

The National Association of Seadogs on Thursday unveiled a borehole built for 1000 pupils of Government Nomadic Primary School in the Nassarawa community of Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The organisation also went further on Friday to carry out free medical services for the less privileged in the Anantigha community of Calabar South.

Speaking before the borehole was unveiled, head teacher of the school, Mr. Umaru Musa, said the scheme came handy as the pupils and immediate neighbours had for long suffered for lack of water.

Musa said, “We have been crying for water for our pupils for long. We were at the verge of contributing money to carry out the project when this group approached us that they wanted to do it for us. It came handy because this scheme will serve more than 1000 pupils and it will facilitate learning.”

Also, the head of Nassarawa community, Alhaji Sani Baba-Gombe, said, “For many years, we had toiled and cried out for water, but I was surprised that NAS decided to site this project here to alleviate our sufferings.

“Water is the most important thing to man. Today, you have given us water, and you have given us life because water is life. Both non-indigenes and indigenes are here together as one. We thank you for saving lives through this project.”

Unveiling the project, National President of the organisation, Prince Ifeanyi Onochie, explained that NAS seeks to improve the welfare of neglected people with provision of social amenities so as to make life meaningful.

Onochie said citing the project in the school premises was to ensure it served the community as well.

“We believe that this project will serve the water need of the pupils and the entire community. We are here to appreciate the fact that water is one thing we cannot do without. Whenever we have our national convention as we are having in Calabar, we identify communities that had been neglected in certain areas and intervene.

“This water project for this community is one of such. We also identify education as the critical part of a child’s life, that is why we have come to alleviate their sufferings,” he said.

On the medical mission, Onochie, who lamented the inadequacy of medical services in Nigeria, urged government to tackle the health challenges facing the citizens, especially in the rural areas where the people are more vulnerable to infections.

Ifeanyi said the association was on rescue mission to fill the gap since government was not fast meeting the health needs.

The programme tagged ‘NAS medical mission’ had beneficiaries such as the aged and young who trooped out en masse for the free health services.

Head of NAS Medical Mission, Dr. Ofem Enang, advocated for the upgrade of the health care system in the country.

Enang called on government to train more community health workers specially dedicated for rural areas.