By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA— NO fewer than 1000 residents of Onitsha have benefited from the free medical services provided by the 302 Artillery Regiment Onitsha,  as part of its 2009 Army Day celebration.

The exercise, which is part of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General A.B Dambazua vision of excellent civil/military relationship also had the soldiers engaged  environmental sanitation.

Commander of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Cornel Joseph Osuji and his 14 Field Artillery Regiment counterpart Lt. Colonel M.N. Mamman supervised both the medical service and environmental sanitation.

Colonel Osuji said that Nigerian Army, after 146 years of its existence, has done exceedingly well in the area of peace mission in African region and internal security, noting that in order to be properly appreciated by the civil society, it decided to provide the free medical services.

He said that the Chief of Army staff deemed it necessary as part of his vision of ensuring that Nigerian Army continued to be the pride of the nation, to render service to the civilians to maintain excellent civilian/military relationship, adding, that exercise would go a long way to correct the wrong impression the civilians have about the military.

He explained that the Army Day Celebration is a yearly exercise, which commemorates the creation of the Nigerian Army, adding that the theme for this year is “Repositioning the Nigeria Army for Better Civil Relationship.”