How Mrs. Oghogho Musa is Redefining Role of Women in National Security through DEPOWA

Through acts of service and dedication, the 15th President of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association, DEPOWA,  Mrs. Oghogho Musa, has continuously redefined the role of women in national  security. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that recently, the DEPOWA President was at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, NAFRC, Oshodi, Lagos, to provide succour for wives of fallen heroes 

When the 15th President of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs. Oghogho Musa, took over from her predecessor, Mrs. Vickie Irabor on June 2023, she expressed her readiness to serve with passion and dedication.

Eight months down the line, the DEPOWA President, who is the wife of the Chief Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has kept her promise. From donations to providing palliatives, boosting education, meeting medical needs, enriching skills and acquisition and even providing support for widows of fallen heroes, she has run the whole gamut of service. 

Through these acts of dedication, she has continuously redefined the role of women in national defence and security in the country through DEPOWA 

Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA)

DEPOWA is a Tri-Services Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) that augments the humanitarian and social intervention efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in empowering less privileged widows and orphans of fallen heroes who lost their lives in the service to the nation.

 Its membership comprises the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA); Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA); Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA);  and Police Officer’s Wives Association (POWA).

As a registered non-governmental made up of women bound together by their marriage to Military Men, the massive roles being played by the association is evident in the integration and interventions they carry out to the benefit of the military and civil society at large.

Succor for Widows of Fallen Heroes 

As part of one of such measures where she has constantly redefined the role of women, ths DEPOWA President recently 

visited the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos.

To cushion the effect of the economic hardship being experienced across the country, the DEPOWA President last week donated palliatives to over 50 widows of fallen soldiers at the parade ground of NAFRC. 

The beneficiaries were those whose husbands died in active service. Hosting them at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, Mrs. Musa gave them foodstuffs and cash gifts while sharing words of encouragement to them.

Handing over the palliatives to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Musa urged them to remain good citizens and ensure that the various skills they had acquired before were adequately utilised.

She articulated the initiative’s role in enhancing capacity development for DEPOWA and Defence Non-Commissioned Officers’ Wives Association (DENCOWA) members, as well as providing crucial humanitarian support to the less privileged and vulnerable individuals.

Alleviating Living Standard of Military Families

At the event, a grinding and milling shop 

built at the centre by the Coordinator of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre Officers Wives Association (NAFRCOWA), Grace Amesinola, was inaugurated to the joyful cheers of the NAFRC community, who had hitherto had to journey to far-flung neighbourhoods in Ikeja or Oshodi to grind their millet. 

Commending the NAFRCOWA coordinator for her ‘ingenuity and unwavering commitment” to establishing the Grinding and Milling Shop, Mrs. Musa said it underscored the potential to alleviate the hardship faced by the wives and children of military personnel in grinding food products.

Stressing that they would continue to embark on activities and programmes that will better the lives of soldiers’ wives and children, the DEPOWA President said the initiative aligned with her vision to empower women and girls to become productive contributors to family and society. 

“I wish to appreciate the Coordinator NAFRCOWA Mrs Grace Amesinola for her ingenuity and commitment in establishing the Grinding and Milling Shop, this will really reduce the hardship of going to distant places by wives and children of personnel to grind food products.”

Assurances for Families of Fallen Heroes 

Also speaking, Commandant, NAFRC, Air Vice Marshall (AVM) Adeniyi Amensinola lauded the DEPOWA president for providing assistance to those who have sacrificed so much for the nation’s security and well-being.

Emphasising the importance of not forgetting the widows and orphans of the deceased personnel, he assured them that their spouses’ supreme sacrifice in the line of duty would not be in vain.

“The show of human kindness and initiatives such as we are witnessing today being undertaken by the President DEPOWA are reassuring and comforting bearing in mind that widows of deceased personnel are not forgotten and that the supreme sacrifice paid by their spouses in the line of duty while upholding national security is not in vain.

“As we continue to remember our fallen heroes and veterans who sacrifice much to the nation, we use this opportunity to thank Almighty God for their lives well spent in the service of our dear country as well as in maintaining regional peace and stability”, he said. 

For the Environment

Beyond all the CSR that they carried out on the two-day visit, the DEPOWA President also took out time to care for the environment. 

Led by the commandant and NAFRCOWA President, Mrs. Oghogho and members of her entourage planted trees at the Widows and Orphans Skills Acquisition, thus signifying her interest in protecting and nurturing the environment.