The Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), is appealing to Army authorities to pay the gratuities and other entitlements of dead soldiers to enable their families live a normal live.
The President of the association and wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Mrs Felly Minimah, made the call when he led other executive members of the association to make the donation of food items to widows and wives of soldiers at the Ribadu Military Cantonment Kaduna, North West Nigeria.
Stressing the need for the payment of entitlements of deceased soldiers and officers, she noted that this would encourage the serving ones to be dedicated to their duties.
Mrs Minimah, however, commended the soldiers and officers of 1 Division for their efforts in tackling insurgency and other crimes within their areas of responsibility. She also prayed for the repose of those who lost their lives in the battle field.
Presenting the food items which include tubers of yam, bags of rice, sugar, cartons of beverages, among others, Mrs Minimah stated that the gesture was part of the cardinal objectives of NAOWA, to ameliorate the plights of wives of deceased soldiers and those still in service.
It was mixed feelings for the women as they gathered to receive food items from NAOWA, and also narrated the difficulties they were passing through since the exit of their bread winners. Some of them said that life has not been easy with them especially with the non-payment of their husbands’ gratuities, therefore calling on Army authorities to pay the entitlement of their dead husbands to enable them cater for their children and move on with life.
For the visibly touched Mrs Minimah, she promised to talk to the relevant authorities on the plight of these women.
In line with the spirit of charity and touching the lives of the less privileged in the barracks and environs, the NAOWA President also announced that her administration would soon embark on the building of a model school at Kurudu in the Federal Capital Territory to meet the educational needs of military retirees and the civilian populace in the area.
