The Nigerian Navy on Friday launched an educational outreach, distributing educational materials to schools within its host communities in Rivers State as part of activities lined up for her 70th anniversary celebration.
The outreach, conducted by the Nigerian Navy Ship, (NNS) PATHFINDER, saw the distribution of learning materials such as; pens, customised exercise books, textbooks, white boards and markers, rulers, pencils, erasers, footballs and other sports facilities to three schools in the state.
Schools that benefitted from the outreach were the Nigerian Navy Primary School Borokiri in Port Harcourt City LGA, Nigerian Navy Primary School Pathfinder, and Community Primary School Mgbuodohia in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor LGA.
Atp the event, the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Mutalib Ibikunle Raji, said the outreach was aimed at supporting the children’s education, while discouraging involvement in illegal activities, and redirecting young people towards productive futures.
Commodore Raji, represented by the NNS Pathfinder First Lieutenant of the Base, Commander Hassan Yahaya, said “We went round three schools, Nigerian Navy School Primary School in Pathfinder, Nigerian Navy School Primary School Borokiri, and Community Primary School, Mgbuodohia, all within our areas of responsibility to distribute educational learning materials as our little way to support the education of the students there.
“The goal is to support education of the children and also steer youths away from engaging in illegal activities such as illegal refining, pipeline vandalism among other criminal acts, and channel their attention toward education for a better society.
Raji emphasised that the gesture reflects the Navy’s Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, of giving back to it’s host communities, which he said is critical to building strong Civil-Military Relations and Central to the Service mandate.
“We found it worthy to give back to host communities across the nation, its part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, so here in Rivers State, these three schools earlier mentioned in Rumuolumeni Obio/Akpor LGA and Borikiri Port Harcourt City Councils respectively are part of our host communities to the NNS Pathfinder,” he said.
“We are encouraging education of the children who are leaders of tomorrow, the children who also see us as role models. You can’t achieve a very strong relationship between the Service and the community so, that is why we found it worthy to reach out to our host communities,” he said.
The commander urged students and youths to take their studies seriously and avoid acts such as; illegal refining and other criminal activities that undermine the nation’s economy and destroy their futures.
“I use this medium to encourage not only the children to take their studies seriously, but others especially the youths to stay away from any act of illegality that will affect the nation’s economy, because we are committed to protecting the national interest both on the land and our maritime domain as mandated by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas Admiralty Mendal,” he said.
The head teacher of Community Primary School Mgbuodohia, Mrs Nwobo Salome, thanked NNS Pathfinder for selecting her school, saying the materials would aid learning and reduce costs for parents and the school.
The head teachers of all three schools assured fair distribution and proper use of the donated items.
The head girl of Nigeria Navy Primary School Pathfinder, Victoria Tanee, thanked Commodore Raji and the NNS Pathfinder team on behalf of the pupils, noting that the materials would go a long way in supporting their education.
