By Raphael Oni
On behalf of NAFOWA, I am donating these Gift items to our sisters present here today as part of our obligation. This is to supplement your efforts in supporting your children and other dependants in your care. Thank you for being here with us today and for taking time out of your busy schedules to grace this occasion. Please continue to support us in our quest for service to humanity. Wishing you God’s protection and guidance. – Mrs. Olubunmi Amao
The Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA) embarked on humanitarian services as part of activities to commemorate the Nigerian Air Force 57th Anniversary. The activities which took place in Abuja include medical outreach to 063 NAF Hospital and humanitarian outreach to Military widows.
Speaking during the medical delivery to 063 Hospital, NAFOWA National President, Mrs. Elizabeth Olubunmi Amao, said the outreach is part of their support to their husbands and also marking the 2021 NAF Day celebration. In her words, “as you are aware, this week has been set aside by the NAF to celebrate its 57 Anniversary. As part of our support to our darling Husbands in celebrating NAF Day, We want to stretch out our hands of friendship to you by enforcing one of our visions which is health care delivery.”
While noting that the Medical equipment donated to 063 NAF Hospital is expected to enhance the healthcare in the Maternity and Paediatric Wards respectively, she prayed to God that the equipment would be used to save lives and ensure good health.
In his response to the kind gesture of NAFOWA, the Commander 063 NAF Hospital Abuja, Group Captain Muzzammil Muhammed, said the donated medical equipment will enhance healthcare delivery and promised to use them for the purpose they have been donated for. The Commander said that NAFOWA is the only organisation that supports hospitals, urging other organisations not to leave the hospitals to the government alone but to emulate NAFOWA
In the same vein, Mrs. Amao, while speaking at the humanitarian outreach to military widows, noted that, “today is set aside to reach out to our sisters who lost their husbands in the cost of fighting against insurgency and other security challenges across the country. These sisters are mostly absent in the statistics, unnoticed by national and local authorities and mostly overlooked by the civil society. Their plights, travails and challenges go unnoticed by the generality of the society.
According to Mrs. Amao, “We are committed not to allow your plights to go unnoticed. We are determined to provide succour to you as best as we can. Though we celebrate you regularly, but today is a special day. At the end of the day, we would have drawn the public’s attention to your challenges. We hope that by doing so, many more will become positive influencers in one way or the other in reaching out to sisters and their children all over the nation”,.She further donated gift items to the widows so as to supplement their efforts in supporting their children and other dependants in their care.
The NAFOWA National President appreciated the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao for providing all the necessary logistics to make the outreaches a success. She also expressed her appreciation to the 053 HQ-NAF Camp Commander, Air Commodore CE Akpa and the Spiritual fathers present.
Speaking on behalf of the widows at the humanitarian outreach, a NAFOWA widow and National Public Relations Officer, Military Widows Association, Mrs. Deluwa Saleh-Bibinu, thanked the NAFOWA National President for remembering the widows, many of whom she said, have been struggling since the death of their husbands.
She pleaded with the NAF to scale up support for the widows by creating employment opportunities for their graduate children, accommodations for the widows, the creation of a forum where widows can run to in the face of insecurity as well as support to the Military Widows Association.
