Soldiers of the 35 Artillery Brigade Alamala, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday, in commemoration of Army Day, embarked on a sanitation exercise at Lafenwa Market.
The soldiers, who were seen at about 7:30 a.m., swept through the market, its drainages, and the surrounding area.
The Brigade Commander, Gen Mohammed Aminu, represented by Col Legborsi Nule, the Garrison Commander, said the gesture is to support the host environment and give back to the society.
He remarked that military personnel are members of the community and are involved in activities related to the country’s growth.
“This week is dedicated to the Nigerian Army; it is for the Nigerian Army Day Celebration and is a yearly event that takes place across the country. We use this period as a day to carry out activities like this in support of our host environment as part of giving back to our host communities.
“Yesterday, we were at this Lafenwa school where we gave out some books and spent time with the students.
“So today, we decided to come to the market. We have been passing by here and noticed that the market was getting dirtier by the day, so we decided to clean it to help the civil authority and our host community.
“And to let them know, basically, that we in the military are part of the society, part of the community, and whatever has to do with the development of the country is also our responsibility as citizens of this country.”
The Commander urged the traders to maintain a clean environment in the wake of the state’s cholera outbreak.
“Because of the outbreak of cholera, we decided to clean the environment. This is a market, and all of us shop here, so there is no better place that should be kept clean than where you are buying your foodstuff.
“So, marketers should help maintain their environment. When they sell, they should clean the environment in the evening before they go home,” he added.
