The National Association of Seadogs (NAS) has rehabilitated an abandoned solar-powered borehole and handed it over to the Afaha Atai community in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, to provide safe drinking water and improve public health conditions.
The association also launched a free medical outreach targeting over 2,000 residents suffering from various ailments.
Speaking during the commissioning of the borehole on Saturday, the NAS Cap’n and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joseph Oteri, said the intervention formed part of the association’s activities marking its quarterly meeting in the state.
He explained that the borehole project and medical outreach were designed to tackle the community’s long-standing problem of unsafe water and recurring waterborne diseases.
> “Each of our quarterly meetings is an opportunity to touch humanity tangibly,” Oteri said. “We usually select communities for a scoping mission to assess disease prevalence and population, which helps us determine the quantity of drugs to purchase and the number of medical personnel to engage.
“The decision to bring the outreach and commission the borehole stemmed from the prevalence of waterborne diseases in the community.”
Oteri noted that NAS’s medical missions, which began in 2011, have recorded a significant impact across several states, with many beneficiaries sharing testimonials on the association’s website.
Also speaking, Dr Eshiet Ekanem, Medical Mate of Sancta Riviera Deck,a chapter of NAS, said a detailed scoping mission was conducted in Afaha Atai and neighbouring communities—Afaha Etim and Mbietebe—to determine their healthcare needs before the outreach.
He said the outreach was designed to cater for between 2,000 and 3,000 residents, treating illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, skin infections, and age-related diseases.
“Our findings showed that water scarcity has contributed to an increase in waterborne diseases,” Ekanem said. “We came with full medical supplies to treat malaria, typhoid, and scabies. We also discovered that about 35 per cent of residents are elderly, with nearly one-third aged 70 and above, so we made provisions for arthritis, poor vision, and other age-related conditions.”
Ekanem added that optometrists were part of the medical team to conduct eye and vision tests.
At the same time, severe cases were referred to designated health facilities approved by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health.
He said the Village Head had informed the team that over 9,000 people might attend the outreach, prompting them to prepare for up to 3,000 beneficiaries.
In his remarks, Evang. Edidiong Inyang, Chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, commended NAS for the humanitarian gesture, describing it as a lifeline for residents who lack access to basic healthcare.
Commissioning the rehabilitated borehole, Inyang said the facility had been abandoned for years, forcing residents to rely on unsafe water sources.
“This borehole has been abandoned for a long time, and its restoration today brings immense relief not only to Afaha Atai but also to neighbouring villages,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Edet Edem, expressed gratitude for the medical assistance, saying the free treatment and drugs had brought him relief.
“I am delighted because I could not afford hospital treatment. The Seadogs have brought healing and hope to us,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Ekaette Udo, a 65-year-old widow, said the outreach was a blessing to many who had been suffering silently due to poverty and lack of healthcare access.
“For many years, I have struggled with arthritis and poor eyesight, but I couldn’t afford hospital visits or drugs. Today, doctors attended to me, administered eye drops, and prescribed medicine for my joint pain. I thank the Seadogs for remembering people like us,” she said, visibly emotional.
The outreach, according to NAS, underscores its long-standing commitment to humanitarian service, public health promotion, and community development, especially in underserved rural communities across Nigeria.
