DEPOWA President pledges support for widows, children of fallen personnel

By Tijjani Mohammed

The President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Mernan Oluyede, has pledged continued support for widows of fallen military personnel and their children.

Oluyede made the pledge on Wednesday during a humanitarian outreach to widows under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Officers Wives Association (DICONOWA) and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State.

She said DEPOWA would explore systems to prioritise widows and their children in employment opportunities, particularly graduates seeking jobs.

According to her, the concerns raised by the widows were valid and would be carefully considered rather than addressed through “knee-jerk” decisions.

“We have heard from graduates, and we are looking at that. We are going to look at putting in place systems that will provide for them,” she said.

Oluyede said the proposed arrangement would also consider opportunities for the children of fallen personnel seeking to join the Armed Forces.

She said DEPOWA would also examine outstanding issues relating to insurance and other benefits due to widows and families of fallen personnel.

“We will try as much as possible to ensure that there are systems in place, whether it is for insurance that has not been paid and all of that.

“We are going to look at what can be done with that to continue serving as their husbands, and indeed their families, continue to serve the nation,” she said.

The DEPOWA president also attended the commissioning of a block of three classrooms at the AFSCOWA Nursery and Primary School, Jaji.

She commended the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Officers Wives Association (AFSCOWA) for the initiative, describing the classroom project as an investment in the future of children of military families.

“A classroom is more than just a building. It is a place where children develop confidence, discover their abilities and begin to imagine what they can become,” she said.

Oluyede appreciated the Commandant of AFCSC and members of AFSCOWA for their support in completing the project.
She urged teachers and pupils to make effective use of the classrooms and create an environment that promotes learning, discipline and personal development.

Earlier, the Coordinator of AFSCOWA, Mrs Ekene Shogbanmu, said the commissioning marked a significant milestone for the association.

Shogbanmu said the classrooms would provide a more conducive learning environment and support the association’s vision of raising children who were academically sound, morally upright and prepared to contribute meaningfully to society.

She expressed appreciation to her husband, the Commandant of AFCSC, for his leadership and support toward the project.

Shogbanmu also thanked the DEPOWA president and her delegation for their presence, describing it as a demonstration of commitment to the welfare and development of military families.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the humanitarian outreach formed part of activities marking DEPOWA’s engagement with families of fallen personnel and military communities in Kaduna.