The Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) in Anambra State has empowered 75 wives of men and officers of the Nigeria Police, including widows whose husbands died in active service in the state command.
Speaking during the inaugural/graduating ceremony held at POWA Skill Acquisition Center in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the State on Friday, the POWA chairperson in the state, Mrs. Bolanle Adeoye, said the training kicked off on the 19th of September 2023 as a two-week program but was later extended to one month.
She mentioned that the women are also members of POWA, Anambra State Chapter.
According to Mrs. Adeoye, who is also the wife of the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderemi Adeoye, the goal for the inaugural training was to equip the trainees to be productive with a view to earning income for their families and to reduce poverty, supporting police officers in the arduous task of providing security for the populace.
She noted that the majority of women, particularly widows worldwide, struggle to feed or cater to the educational needs of their children, among other needs.
She said that the prevalent harsh socio-economic situation being experienced by vulnerable women could directly or indirectly affect the future of their families unless there is divine intervention.
“I believe the vocational training center built and donated to POWA by Engr Prince Arthur Eze will go a long way to train our widows, orphans, and less privileged to start small-scale businesses. So, by the time they are through with their training, they would have the wherewithal to improve their social and economic standing,” she said.
She commended Engr Arthur Eze, Sir Emeka Offor, the Traditional rulers of Ukwulu community, Igwe Peter Onyawa, and his Umueri counterpart, Igwe Ben Emeka, for their continuous support for the widows and other less privileged people in their various domains.
She also appreciated her husband, who presented cheques of N250,000 each to the three best graduating students of the training program, his management team, and all the officers of the state command for their support in the state, stating that, “without them, there would be no functional POWA in Anambra State.”
In her speech while handing over the empowerment items, which comprise sewing machines, generator sets, deep freezers, grinding machines, hairdressing machines, plastic bowls for soap making, and weighing machines to the beneficiaries, the National chairperson and the wife of the Inspector General of Police IGP, Dr. (Mrs.) Elizabeth Egbetokun, warned them not to sell the items but to use them passionately to train and feed their families.
She honored the trainer, Mr. Okwosa Charles, with the sum of N500,000.
Mrs. Egbetokun also used her visit to the State to present the award of excellence in community development to His Royal Majesty, Igwe Ben Emeka, at his Palace in Umueri community in Anambra East Local Government Area of the State.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aderemi Adeoye, while applauding Mrs. Egbetokun for honoring the invitation, informed the gathering that the empowerment items were solely donated by Arthur Eze.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the kind gesture and prayed to God to continue to shower his blessings on the donors.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that widows and other vulnerable women from Ukpo and Ukwulu communities also benefited from the gesture respectively.
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