Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has disclosed plans to offer regular free healthcare to officers and men of the nation’s military, especially families of the country’s fallen heroes.
The church made the disclosure yesterday when it took its Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) outreach programme to the Mogadishu Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja, where free healthcare, as well as food items, were delivered to women and children.
Speaking at the occasion, Pastor in Charge of the City of David (RCCG), Abuja, Gbolade Okenla, said the gesture was in line with the vision and mandate of the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
Okenla, who observed that the Nigerian military has been doing a lot to secure the country, stated that it has become imminent to support them, especially the families of those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
“We are in Mogadishu barracks on behalf of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and in line with our General Overseer’s vision, Pastor E. A. Adeboye, who has mandated us to reach out to our communities.
“We are reaching out to the Nigerian Armed Forces today, not that they need it but because we felt we are neighbours, and they have done a lot and they are still doing a lot in maintaining the territorial integrity of our nation and the least we can do in line with the vision of our general overseer is to reach out to them through our Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) programme,” he said.
While stating that it is part of the church’s responsibility to look after their neighbours, Okenla assured that the church will make the gesture a regular one and extend to other barracks in the country.
“We are going to be partnering with them,” he said, “especially widows of the fallen heroes will be well taken care of in line with the mandate of our general overseer, it won’t be a one-off, it would be probably once or twice in a year.”
Responding, the Commandant of the Mogadishu Cantonment, Major General K. A. Isonil, commended the church for the gesture, noting that the free healthcare and welfare items are coming at a very difficult time in the country.
“I want to thank the Redeemed Christian Church of God for bringing this medical as well as welfare packages right to our doorstep, we all know how difficult it is accessing medical facilities because of the economic and other challenges in the country,” he said.
Adding that personnel in the barracks and their families would benefit greatly from the free healthcare.
While praying to God to reward the church accordingly, he called on other religious bodies, organisations, and individuals to join the RCCG in replicating the kind gesture.
The head of the church’s medical team, a Consultant Hermetologist, Dr. Theophilus Ado, in his remarks, observed that people have a lot of health challenges ranging from malaria, upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, skin diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes amongst others, hence, the provision of free medicals.
“The medical outreach is targeted especially at the vulnerable groups, those who have lost their husbands, fathers in the course of war, insecurity and in the line of duty, so we thought we can reach out to them and provide medical care for them.
“Besides medical care we are providing welfare because food is the number one medicine,” he said.
He commended the recipients for the massive turnout, stating that, “with the logistics we are working with, it is obvious that it’s not going to be enough, so we have made some contingency arrangements.”
While observing that the cantonment has a good medical facility, the head of the medical team, disclosed that the church would liaise with them to handle some cases.
“So going forward, at any time when there is a challenge we will know how to address them and know who to refer them to.
“We are also going to start a programme for the widows here in the Defence: Army, Navy, and Air Force, so we can cater for them two times a year,” he added.
