By BASHIR ADEFAKA
First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has called on the wives of service chiefs to support their husbands in achieving the mandate given to them by the President and the nation to secure Nigeria and its citizens.
This was contained in a statement by Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the First Lady, Barr. Aliyu Abdullahi, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Monday.
According to the statement, Mrs Buhari made the call while receiving wives of service chiefs during a courtesy visit at the State House on Monday 14th June 2021.
She highlighted the role that women play in nation-building as spouses of public officers and charged them to optimize their contribution in that regard and, therefore, enjoined them to uphold the spirit of camaraderie, which is common among the families of security forces that manifests during times of joy and sorrow.
She also called for regular and timely payment of benefits of retired and deceased soldiers so that the affected families get their benefits as at when due and to further serve as motivation for the security forces.
The First Lady used the opportunity to urge appropriate authorities to conclude the employment of more security officers to address the intractable security problems facing the nation.
Speaking earlier, Wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Victoria Irabor, who led the delegation, commended Mrs Buhari for her motherly role and constant support to the families of security officers and personnel.
Mrs Irabor recalled that many families of injured or deceased security officers have been supported by the First Lady through regular empowerment programmes and confirmed that officers and their families are encouraged by the kind gesture and urged her colleagues to emulate the good heart of the First Lady by staying in touch with the soldiers’ families at all times.
The event was attended by the wives of service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General, Department of State Services, and the National Security Adviser, respectively.
