82 Division Nigerian Army on Wednesday said there is no truth in the
allegation that it intends to use the medical outreach launched in the Southeast
zone to depopulate the region through infection of a deadly disease.
A statement by Deputy Director Public Relations of the 82
Division, Colonel Musa Sagir, stated
that there was nothing harmful about the drugs being administered as it has
been held in other states and no incidence of ill health or death has been
registered.
Sagir said: "The division wishes to make it clear that
the free medical outreach is not a vaccine intended to infect Monkey pox or any
major contemporary or emerging diseases in Nigeria to the people of Southeast
or any part of the country.
"The exercise is part of the corporate social
responsibility initiatives imbued in the overall exercise Egwu Eke II package,
to the people of the South-east region which is the area of responsibility of
the 82 Division of the army and is also the theatre of the exercise."
He added that "the free medical services in the
region started on September 18, 2017, in Nkwaagu community of Abakaliki Local
Government Area of Ebonyi State. At the
event, the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, the Chairman of the council area
and some traditional rulers of the benefiting community were there at the flagging-off
exercise by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai.
"Other areas where the programme was conducted were Ovim
in Isoukwato council area of Abia State, Mbaise in Imo State, Orji River in
Enugu State and now Ozubulu in Anambra State.
"In all the mentioned areas, there has not been any
recorded incident or complaint of any kind arising from the noble humanitarian
gesture of the army."
Sagir described the rumour as wicked, ill -motivated and the
handiwork of unpatriotic elements who can go to any length to discredit the
noble services of the army in the region, which at the moment they will not
succeed.
The division thanked all the good people of Ozubulu
in Ekwusigo council area including, the Chairman, Ofademe Ikenna, and the Commissioner
for Health Anambra State, Dr Akabuike, who he said turned out enmass to grace
and benefit from the exercise.
Similarly, the Anambra State Police Command has
assured the people of the state of their safety, saying there was no need to
entertain any fear as the police were capable of protecting them.
A statement by Public Relations Officer of state
command, ASP Nwode Nkeiruka, said: "The Command wishes to assure the public
and Anambra people of their safety at all times, and to disregard such story
debunking it as hard as they could."
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