The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, has called for the support of prominent Nigerians to care and love for families and widows of fallen heroes in the country.
Tallen made the call on Thursday in Abuja while presenting gift items to the widows from 36 States of the Federation including FCT at the 2021 empowerment for military widows, orphans, ex-servicemen, and the commissioning of stickers and ticket.
She expressed sadness at the attitude of some Nigerians towards the orphans of fallen heroes, and their families.
She urged well-meaning Nigerians to support the families of Military fallen heroes by giving them opportunities, and empowering them through vocational training, encouraging the widows to start a business with their newly attained skills.
"If you give to widows, you have touched the heart of God and obtain mercy in his sight. If Nigerians can do this for the sake of putting smiles on the faces of orphans of these fallen heroes, because the government can not do everything for them", she said.
Earlier in her remark, the National President of Military Widows Association of Nigeria (MIWA) Mrs. Veronica Gift Aluko thanked the minister for her kind word and support so far by empowering some of the members.
She also described the empowerment initiative with the Nigeria Legion Mass Transit Scheme as timing as it will impact positively on military widows all over the country in terms of financial support, Medicare, and burial arrangements.
She also thanked the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for her regular support when called upon.
The event also had the inauguration of stickers and tickets organised by the Nigerian Legion Mass Transit Scheme Ltd. as one of the platforms to empower the affected persons.
MIWA comprises the wives of senior officers of the military personnel with no fewer than 15,000 registered members.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the beneficiaries, a mother of 3, Mrs. Benson Charles from the Anambra States said, her husband died in 2015 while serving in the North East and she has been taking care of her three children, until recently when the Association PRO announced that her name is being shortlisted for empowerment and training.
" I am in a fashion school, and I hope to graduate before the end of this year. This sewing machine is what I prayed for. I was asked to come to Abuja for this surprise and I am so grateful to MIWA for this" she said.
Another beneficiary, Mrs. Mnguher Sarah Hembaor Igbashi from Delta State who was given a grinding machine said, she lost her two children before her military husband died in 2015 and since then, things have been hard for her. She thanked the initiator of the empowerment program to support young and old widows.
The highlight of the event was the commissioning of 2021 stickers and tickets.
According to Nigeria Legion Mass Transit Chairman an ex-serviceman, Col. Micha Gayya (Rtd) “We want to sell the stickers so Nigerians can patronize, we appeal to Nigerians from all walk of life to patronize us and buy the stickers, this is one way of paying us back, it will also put food on our table, give us a sense of wellbeing again in life.
The Military Widows Association of Nigeria (MIWA) is made up of the National Headquarters, zonal headquarters, state headquarters, and L G .A headquarters. It's an initiative that strives to provide for and protect the families of fallen heroes.
The organisation is also fully dedicated to providing for the needs, and welfare of the spouses of our surviving ex-servicemen.
