DEPOWA Commences Empowerment Of Widows, Seeks Army’s Support

isaac aregbesola
Sep, Thu, 2023

Defence/Security

DEPOWA commences empowerment of widows, seeks Army’s support

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

The President, Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Musa, says the association will commence training of widows drawn from the military and police by the end of September.

The president made this known when she led the leadership of all the officers’ wives associations from the services and police on courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, on Thursday in Abuja.

The DEPOWA boss said the move was one of integral objectives of the organisation.

According to her, the association has over the years, touched so many lives positively through skill acquisition and empowerment programmes

She said the association had helped in providing schooling facilities, charity and economic growth opportunities to the less privilege amongst others.

”Having carried out a needs assessment, we intend to do more for the youth in the barracks through skill acquisition programs, more knowledge in Information Technology (IT) and to further reduce poverty.

“We have begun reaching out to the most vulnerable in our various barracks and surrounding communities.

“We intend to commence the training of widows drawn from all the associations by the end of this month which is one of the integral objectives of the Association.

“We intend to embark on various campaigns and initiatives to support women development and also pay visits to orphanages and Internally Displaced Persons camps outside the military community.

“We will also pay visit to wounded soldiers to provide additional aid for their recovery as being part of the Armed Forces Peace Building agenda all channeled towards the non-kinetic support in the fight against terrorism,” she said.

The DEPOWA president said the support of the chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police was needed to be able to cover all the identified target support areas.

She said that their activities, dreams and aspirations would only come to fulfilment with the cooperation and extensive insight of their husbands, adding that they were fully ready to keep contributing their part in nation building.

“I wish to formally congratulate you on your appointment as the COAS and we pray that God will continue to grant you the strength as you tackle insecurity to the barest minimum.

“I pray that God in his infinite mercies continue to give you the strength and grace to deliver,” she added.

Responding, the COAS commended DEPOWA for standing as a unified force of the officers’ wives association in various services and the police and also extending their activities beyond the barracks community.

Lagbaja said the activities of DEPOWA as highlighted by the president, fitted into his command philosophy on sound administration.

Lagbaja said the military needed an association like DEPOWA to act as a bridge between them and the larger contingent of their children, wards and the people that reside inside the barracks and cantonment.

He pledged that the Army Headquarters would continue to partner with DEPOWA to extend the frontier of their reaching out to the home fronts.

The COAS added that his command philosophy recognised that the support of the home front was key, urging the association to ensure that its lofty objectives were translated into key deliverables in the barracks.

“We will continue to provide the support and we will continue to intervene in whatever area that the DEPOWA seeks the supports of the army headquarters.

“We want to thanks you for looking in the direction of our widows and less privileged in our barracks to embark on skill acquisition programme and even the training in ICT for our youths.

“Be rest assured of the supports of at headquarters in this drive and other laudable initiatives of DEPOWA,” he said.

Lagbaja said that there was nexus between the home front and the frontline, saying that the stability of the home fronts would translate into successes in the frontline. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

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