The Nigeria First lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Service Chiefs, Leut Gen. Farouk Yahaya, Vice Admiral A.Z. Gambo, and Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, Vice President of Liberia, Her Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Jewel Howard Taylor, the former President of Malawi Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, and the United Kingdom House of Lords member, Baroness Sandy Verma were among the dignitaries that laid the foundation stone of the Armed Forces Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre, an initiative of the President DEPOWA and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Barrister (Mrs) Vickie Irabor.
Mrs Buhari who was a Special Guest of Honour gave a surprise declaration on Tuesday 4th October, 2022 during the fundraising and project support session that the Federal Government will within 7 months before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure Build the Armed Forces Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre in Abuja.
While delivering her address, Mrs Buhari commends the leadership of DEPOWA, wives of military officers, and soldiers. their families for supporting their spouses.
The first lady who shared her unforgettable experiences when the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari was in Army said, "I understand the challenges associated with PTSD and its impact on military families and the nation. My husband, served Nigerian army for 27 years before he was overthrown. He fought civil war for 30 months without a rehabilitation.
"He ruled Nigeria for 20 months and he was detained for 14 months without knowing his offence, a year after he came up from detention, we got married. I clocked 19 years as his wife in his house legitimatel, so I suffered the consequences of the PTSD because i have gone through all these at the age of 19".
She stressed that, the centre is timely as it is a problem that really deserves a solution and of this nature and providing facilities and services for treatment and rehabilitation of patients is key.
"Raising fund for such a project is not the solution but the federal government that sent them to war front will take responsibility, taking care of their families and also taking care of their mental health after returning from the War front.
PTSD cut across all ages and space of life in children.Who are exposed to emotional and physical abuse from parents, in women, those who will stand or those who endured emotional and physical abuse for long, including men.
Earlier in her welcome address, the DEPOWA President and wife of the Chief of Defence Staff Barrister (Mrs) Vickie Irabor has described the ground-breaking and foundation stone laying ceremony, as an historic and first of its kind, transformative Armed Forces Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centre. "This is a project that is very dear to my heart and indeed the hearts of all military wives across the Country", she affirmed.
She said the Centre is conceived to be a worthy medical facility for the treatment of military personnel suffering from mental and psychological health challenges occasioned by operational conditions and circumstances.
"DEPOWA, under my leadership decided to pursue the implementation of a novel, first-of-its-kind, Legacy-based Armed Forces PTSD Centre", she noted.
Mrs Irabor who also shared her experiences with guests when her husband, (the Current Chief of Defence Staff) was deployed to Liberia and then to Sierra Leone under the auspices of ECOMOG to fight the war that later stabilized these Countries, said, in DEPOWA's review of Research conducted, extraordinary challenges being faced by officers and soldiers on the frontlines in securing our nation by fighting terrorism, banditry, and other societal ill, some of these challenges range from physical injuries, mental health issues, and sometimes, sadly paying the supreme price in the defence of Nigeria.
She opined that, there is a huge gap in mental health responses globally, including Nigeria - especially in the treatment, management, and rehabilitation of PTSD faced by families in the Armed Forces.
Mrs Irabor therefore called on all Nigerians, the private and public sector, NGOs, International Development Organizations, foreign Governments represented by their diplomatic missions, and all stakeholders to join DEPOWA in this campaign for a better Nigeria for all Nigerians, by actualizing this DEPOWA-powered Armed Forces PTSD Centre.
In her word, the Baroness Sandy Verma, Member, UK House of Lords said this initiatives provides a glimmer quote today also served in the armed forces of Nigeria and to others around the world, especially here on the African continent, urgently need the services that will be provided therein.
"So I will pledge that I will take back on behalf of businesses that I work with on a regular basis to look at how they can be supportive of this initiative. This requires a real long term plan. It requires sustainable resource its requires the will of all of us who depend on all of our personnel to keep us safe. It depends on us to ensure that there is not a lack of resource available, and so all of those from the private sector, I ask you to reach out because when it comes to employment, when it comes to sustaining your organisations, you need a well being healthy, mentally healthy workforce, and that is important on us to ensure that we enable that to happen through the work that this institution is going to do", she said.
In Addition, in her remarks, the Former President of Malawi, HE Dr Joyce Banda said Nigeria has set the example today, that we can all rise and do something about our sons and daughters who sacrificed so much for our safety and well being. But we are setting an example of what is possible living our nations as women, living organisations as women is in our DNA. We were living our nation,
She thanked President Buhari for the support he personally had given the people of Nigeria especially women to be the first African woman to lead the WTO.
Also on her word, Vice President of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor said "We are in recognition of the services rendered by the Liberian Armed Forces build and dedicated such the facility for Military Hospital, the first of its kind in our nation.
She said, this is a historic location, but also unprecedented in part of the world, which demands the fullest support of everyone. It is my prayer that this kind of an example with sooner rather than day to become the standard for all of Africa and will provide a safe place for our armed forces to get the care that they need so that they can return in a normal state to their families.
Dignitries at the ground breaking event were the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Service Chiefs, Leut Gen. Farouk Yahaya (COAS), Vice Admiral A.Z. Gambo (CNS) and Air Marshal Oladayo Amao (CAS), Vice President of Liberia, Her Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Jewel Howard Taylor, the former President of Malawi Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, the United Kingdom House of Lords member, Baroness Sandy Verma, Principal Staff officers of the Defence Headquarters, Military personnel, families and Friends.