News
Slain soldiers: Humanitarian ministry to partner with NAOWA in empowering young widows
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has announced that partnership with the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) will assist in the empowerment of young widows of slain soldiers as well as youths and vulnerable Groups in the barracks.
The Minister made this known at the weekend when the wife of the Chief of Army Staff and National President of NAOWA, Mrs Salamatu Farouk Yahaya led the association to pay her a courtesy visit in Abuja.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Monday.
Farouq urged NAOWA to take advantage of the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme to acquire interest- free loans for young widows to start small businesses and also register youths in the barracks for N-Power and N-Skills programmes.
The Minister also stated that, if NAOWA Children’s Schools qualified for the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, their pupils may also be enrolled to benefit from the feeding programme.
She however promised a collaboration with the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association in other areas of humanitarian support, saying as a result of our vast mandates in humanitarian and development, the Ministry will continue to collaborate with relevant bodies like NAOWA to enable it attain its mandates.
“Given the fact that NAOWA has a wide coverage across the country and the fact that your activities are mostly humanitarian, l wish to assure you that NAOWA is a very relevant body the Ministry will be willing to collaborate with”.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation and President of the Association, Mrs Salamatu Farouq Yahaya outlined possible areas of cooperation with the ministry, which include assisting the poor in the barracks especially widows, youth and children through empowerment programmes, sponsorships, donations and trainings.
“NAOWA humanitarian activities include providing relief items to the needy, providing medical equipment to health care centers, paying medical bills of patients, empowerment programs for women and youths, through NAOWA skills acquisition centers, sponsorship for trainings, entrepreneurship training for youths and provision of start-up grants for women in collaboration with SMEDAN.
“Due to the current natural and man-made disasters confronting the country, NAOWA target beneficiaries have increased rapidly creating difficultly for the Association in carrying out her humanitarian pursuits. This necessitated the need for collaboration with other institutions with similar mandates.
“NAOWA target beneficiaries are mostly widows, orphans, youths, IDPs and victims of natural disasters. Nevertheless, NAOWA has extended its target base to include sick persons who could not afford their medical bills, internally displaced persons, and religious/traditional institutions that have less privileged persons under their care”.
She expressed interest in sharing of initiatives, conducting joint humanitarian programs in areas of training and empowerment of vulnerable persons, donating required items to health care facilities and distribution of relief items.
Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Jibrin Isah Echocho, has congratulated Muslim faithful for the successful completion of this year Ramadan fast, urging them to celebrate the Sallah in love, and unity across our communities.
Echocho in a statement madeavailable to CAPITALPOST in Lokoja o Sunday, described the Ramadan period as stressful, but deserving, because it is the only period for spiritual reflection on abstinence from immorality, sincere sacrifice and supplications to Allah.
He added that, Ramadan symbolises Allah’s way of teaching humanity on virtuous living, where people keep away from all forms of comfort to appreciate what the less privileged experience and deprivation they suffers daily.
He task Muslims to extend the lessons of Ramadan to the way we live with our neighbours.
“Let’s seek peace at all times and promote unity of purpose in our society” the Lawmaker demanded.
“May the celebration brings sustainable peace to our homes, my district, Kogi State and Nigeria, he concluded.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has commended Senator Basheer Lado, for redefining the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, stating that, for the first time in a long while, the office is fully meeting its expectations.
Speaking during his visit to the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters accompanied by distinguished senators, Akpabio described the visit as a significant step in strengthening Executive-Legislative relations.
He praised the Special Adviser and his team for maintaining the confidentiality of communications between the President and Senate, and also, ensuring a seamless flow of information. He further emphasized that the office is now more result-oriented.
Additionally, he acknowledged the office’s diligent efforts in tracking all Bills passed by the Senate and assented to by the President, underscoring its critical role in legislative efficiency.
Expressing his satisfaction, Akpabio noted that he and the Senate delegation were proud of the office’s achievements and looked forward to sustaining the existing cordial and productive relationship between the Executive and the Legislature throughout the administration.
In recognition of his exemplary leadership, Senator Lado presented an Award of Excellence to Senator Akpabio.
In his remarks, Senator Lado reaffirmed his commitment to fostering a harmonious working relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. He lauded Akpabio for his unwavering dedication to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—defending it with clarity, articulating it with passion, and advancing it through legislative action.
Ahead of the 2025 political party Congresses, Plateau State Chapter of the Labour Party (LP) stakeholders has endorsed the defection of the candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections and the leader of Justice and Rebirth, Barr Gyang Zi SAN, to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with the view to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
They made the call in a communique issued at the end of the enlarge meeting of the stakeholders from Plateau North senatorial zone at the residence of Barr. Gyang Zi in Rayfield Jos.
The communique which was jointly signed by Dr. Ayiki Sati Director General, Justice and Rebirth and
Barr. Samuel Galadima- 2024 Chairmanship candidate of Jos East LGA among others said the call became imperative on the sideline of the leadership tussle at the National Level which violates the core principles and values for the formation of the Party as an alternative for Nigeria for the protection, sustenance of democracy and Social Justice.
They regretted that the leadership tussle has also divided the party into factions leaving party loyalists and supporters in the state of despondency and confusion not knowing where they belong.
Our correspondent reports that the gathering included LP candidates from the 2023/2024 general elections, party executives, and support groups from the six local government areas of the Northern Senatorial District.
Besides, the focus of the discussions was centered on the state of the Labour Party at both national and state levels and the need for political realignment ahead of the 2025 party congresses and conventions.
The stakeholders further frowned at the structural weaknesses in LP and resolved to advise Barr Gyang Zi, to leave the party and join the APC while expressing confidence that the APC would provide him with a platform to advance good governance in the state .
The communique also emphasized the importance of political consultations, particularly with APC leaders at both state and national levels. It called for collaboration with Plateau State APC leaders, including Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, Sen. Simon Bako Lalong, Sen. Diket Plang, and other party officials.
According to the communique, supporters of Barr Gyang Zi also pledged to mobilize grassroots support for the APC, stating that their leader’s defection would strengthen the party in the state.
They urged the APC leadership to formally receive Gyang Zi and his supporters into the party, marking their official transition from the Labour Party.
Stakeholders also reiterated the need for inclusive governance, ensuring that youths, women, and less privileged individuals are sidelined in the democratic process and accordingly officially denounced their membership in the Labour Party, declaring their support for the APC.
They assured that all LP structures aligned with Gyang Zi would follow suit, shifting their loyalty to the ruling party in the state and at the National level.
-
Politics1 week agoOpposition leaders announce coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027
-
Foreign1 week agoHouthis declare Ben-Gurion Airport ‘no longer safe’ after renewed Gaza fighting
-
News1 week agoUmeh denies receiving $10,000 with other 42 Senators to support state of emergency in Rivers
-
News1 week agoWhy Christ Embassy’s Pastor Chris holds Abuja mega crusade – Fisho
-
Crime1 week agoGhana’s anti-drug agency nabs Nigerian drug kingpin, Uchechukwu Chima, seizes $2.1m worth of cocaine, heroin
-
News1 day agoKogi Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo salutes Tinubu at 74
-
Politics1 week agoAtiku, El-rufai, Obi condemn Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers Governor, demand reversal
-
Business1 week agoFlutterwave, FIRS collaborate to digitize tax collection in Nigeria