Residents Amazed As Thousands Of Nigerian Soldiers Cleans Up Major Market In Enugu State

Some residents were amazed to wake up in the morning and see troops of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, cleaning up an age-long refuse dumps that occupied some spots in Ogbete Main Market, Enugu State.

The 82 Division of the Nigerian Army in Enugu also took care of refuse dumps in old Park and Holy Ghost Cathedral axis of the market on Wednesday.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Division, Brig.-Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, who was present at the market leading the sanitation, declined comments on the exercise.

However, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the division, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, who spoke to newsmen at the end of the sanitation, thanked traders and residents of the area for their cooperation that made it successful. Yusuf said:

“The sanitation was part of the “Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1’’ (meaning Peace Dance 1), which would be officially flagged off on Friday, Nov. 1.

“The exercise is part of the civil-military-cooperation activities designed by the division in support of its host community. It is also part of the preparation for the commencement of “Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1’’ in South-East zone in general,’’ he said.

Reacting to the development, Chief John Eze, Chairman of Ogbete Main Market Traders’ Association (OMMATA), thanked the Nigerian Army for the gesture and other services they had been providing in terms of security.

Eze, represented by the Public Relations Officer of the market, Mr. Emmanuel Eke, said:

“We are amazed to wake up this morning and see thousands of army personnel cleaning every corner of the market.

“They even cleaned up the age-long refuse dump and ensured that they are kept away from drainage so that refuse spill will not return to the drains’’
he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Nigerian Army, on Oct. 16, announced the renaming of one of its annual training exercises in the South-East code-named, “Exercise Egwu Eke” to “Exercise Atilogwu Udo’’.

Before the change of name, Exercise Egwu Eke, otherwise known as Python Dance, had been conducted for three successful years.