The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has presented cheques worth over N427 million to the widows and orphans of fallen heroes of the Armed Forces across the nation.
Tinubu, while speaking at the presentation ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was part of the Social investment Programme under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
The first lady, who is also the National Chairman of RHI, said the presentation was not only to remember and honour the fallen heroes for their sacrifices, but to empower their wives and children who had endured so much.
According to her, no fewer than 1,709 widows and orphans will be empowered with the sum of N250, 000 each.
“This will enable you to capitalise on existing business or to start a new business of your choice, to enable you care for your family.
“We recognise windows are not victims; they are survivors; you have shown extraordinary courage in the face of adversity and we are here to offer a helping hand as you charged a new path.
“Some of you have been widows for some time; while others have just been widowed and we hope that the older windows will give emotional support the younger ones.
“Today, we make donations of N427, 250, 000, to Defence and Police Officers Wives Association(DEPOWA) which is the sum total of the individual draft cheques.’’
She noted that the path of the military wife was not an easy one as the journey was filled with uncertainty, sacrifice and the ever present awareness of the inherent risk.
Tinubu applauded the women who had stood by their husbands through their unwavering support and love and had felt the immense pain of losing loved ones in the line of duty.
“I salute your strength, resilience, the sacrifices that you too have made to our dear country,’’ she said.
Speaking, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, commended the wife of the President for the kind and thoughtful gesture towards the wives of the fallen heroes.
Musa was represented by Maj. – Gen. D.I Saliu, Director, Veteran Affairs, Defence Headquarters.
According to him, it is a clear indication that the welfare of women and indeed the Armed Forces sits very high in your priority list.
“I make bold to say that this, there would not have been a more desirable beneficiaries of such thoughtful initiative than our dear widows.
“These are special collections of women who specifically held their home front while their husbands carried out their duty and laid down their lives in the process,’’ he said.
He also said that the act had shown a renewed hope for the families of the departed soldiers as their sacrifices were not in vein.
Also, Mrs Oghogho Musa, President of DEPOWA and Wife of Chief of Defence Staff, said the presentation of cheques to the widows and orphans was to express love and happiness.
The President of DEPOWA said that UN reports indicated that there were 258 million widows and 140 million orphans around the world.
She noted that many of them had left unsupported in the society.
“The importance of this event is to show solidarity and kindness of the wives and orphans of our fallen heroes,” she said.
She commended the first lady for her commitment to looking into plight of special people in line with the RHI.
