Officers and men of the Second Infantry Battalion (2BN) and the people of Egyam have jointly initiated a market project estimated to cost GH 8,000 cedis (80 million cedis) at Egyam a farming community in the Ahanta West District.
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Vib-Sanziri, Commanding Officer of 2BN and Nana Kwasi Abuade VII, a Divisional Chief, performed the sod-cutting ceremony for the project at which the commander presented Gh 3,000 cedis (30 million cedis) as the unit's contribution towards the project.
Early this year, personnel from 2BN provided labour and materials for the renovation of the Egyam community centre soon after adopting the community as part of its determination to forge and promote friendly military/civilian cooperation in the Western Region.
The ceremony coincided with the second annual thanksgiving service and commemoration of the 62 anniversary of the establishment of the Egyam Catholic Grotto.
Lt. Col. Vib-Sanziri said to foster closer relationship with the civilian population, the unit adopted the Egyam in 2007 and appealed to the people to regard themselves as part of the unit and help to take their newly found relations to a higher level.
He thanked the people for embracing the idea to develop a common relationship that would become beneficial to the Unit and the community "where we will share the joy as well as the tribulations of each other".
Lt. Col. Vib-Sanziri gave the assurance that the relations between the two communities would not be "abandoned mid-stream but will grow from strength to strength".
He said donations towards projects for the community were personal contributions form officers and men of the 2BN and called on the youth to take active interest in all activities organised in aid of development projects.
The unit, he said, would organise periodic health outreach programmes to enhance healthcare delivery for the people.
Reverend Thomas Kwasi Addo, Unit Chaplain in charge of Methodist-Presbyterian, in a sermon on the theme: "that they all may be one" said Christians must help to build a just society devoid of discrimination, petty jealousies, envy, rancour and bitterness.
He called for unity and cooperation among all structures of society including civilians and security agencies because personnel of these agencies were out to protect their civilian counterparts.
Nana Gyaame V, Chief of Egyam in an address read on his behalf, recalled the benefits of the 62-year-old Egyam Catholic Grotto that had helped the community to overcome many tribulations and scheming of the devil.
He appealed for the reshaping of roads particularly the one leading to the grotto and completion of a school project that was initiated by the community a couple of years ago but could not complete it due to financial constraints.