POWA empowers widows, members in Lagos

As part of the activities lined up to celebrate this year’s Christmas and end of the year party, the Police Officers’ Wives Association(POWA) over the weekend empowered over 47 widows and members with various instruments of trade in Lagos. The beneficiaries which were drawn from both Police Wives Association (PWA) and POWA, Lagos State Chapter were given sewing machines, grinding engines, deep freezers, hair dryers, provisions and cash to the tune of N50,000 to start up small businesses. Speaking during the empowerment programme which held at POWA Hall in Ikeja, the Chapter Chairperson, Mrs. Mary Edgal said the current economic situation in the country called for the gesture especially with wives of fallen heroes who are left with the full responsibility of catering for the family needs alone. Edgal also pointed out that the programme was a way of encouraging members to support their husbands, most of who are in other states working tirelessly to secure lives and properties of all Nigerians. According to the Chapter Chairperson, the initiative was in line with the vision of the National body as headed by Hajiya Asma’u Idris. “Since my assumption of office as POWA chairperson in Lagos state, it has been at the front burner of my administration to enhance the quality of lives of our members and that of Police wives generally in line with POWA’s vision which is to be an effective sustainable organisation that actively enhances the quality of life of women and children of police and serve as a recognised resource for community partnership, post conflict rehabilitation and youth empowerment. “Consequently, my administration has focused on improving the lives of our women and those of PWA. It is our goal to empower these women and enhance the standard and quality of life in particular and the police community in general. “We have also had children empowerment which saw to my purchasing of GCE forms for over 20 children of PWA and POWA members. Some of the children that took the examination came out in flying colours. “So, in this year’s end of the year party, we have included empowerment for PWA and POWA members and some of those who are widowed. We know that when a woman loses her husband, she is all alone with the responsibility of the family and no one to help. The fact remains that the burden of a widow is not easy so we are extending our help in our own little way,” she said. On the criteria for selection, Edgal said those who were widowed within her one year in office were the beneficiaries. For POWA and PWA members, she said those who were suffering, whose husbands were not in Lagos but in the North-East fighting insurgency were considered first. While admonishing the beneficiaries of the scheme, the POWA chairperson said, “My advice to the beneficiaries is that I just gave them a little thing; let them use it to feed their family, to assist their husbands because personally, I don’t like women sitting at home doing nothing. If due to the nature of our men’s job, they don’t come home sometimes, you don’t have to wait for them to bring feeding money. Just start little.” She further appreciated officers and men of the Lagos State Police Command for their financial support and private individuals and organisation who made the impotent possible. A widow and beneficiary of the empowerment programme, Mary Gambo, expressed joy saying the gesture was a life line. Gambo, a mother of four who hails from Gombe State said she lost her husband in 2015 to the fight against insurgency in Yobe State. “I got a deep freezer and I am very happy about this, I can now start my cold drinks and water business. I will no longer complain of hunger and I can now feed myself and my four children,” she said gratefully. Joy Anyim, Lagos