Police Wives Advised to Engage in Ventures to Support Families

George Okoh in Makurdi

The wife of the Inspector General of Police (IG) and National President of Police Officers Wives’ Association (POWA), Hajia Alkali Baba, has counselled wives of fallen police officers and those still serving to engage in meaningful ventures that would make them resourceful and supportive of their families.

She encouraged them to acquire skills to be useful to themselves and their families, tasking the women to improve their overall wellbeing through constant exercise and good hygiene for good health, and to stay out of gossips and other unwholesome activities.

She gave the advice at the Officers Mess in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, at the weekend on the occasion of empowerment of wives and widows of policemen.

Baba praised her husband for supporting her to revive POWA nationwide, saying: “When I came on board, there was no POWA nationally and the gentleman, my husband, the 21st indigenous Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, I call him my world, brought back POWA and rebuilt it.

“During the #EndSARS protest, I told him I would like to go and counsel my women, so I started going out. Benue is the 16th state I have been to. We will continue to replicate this in other states.”

The empowerment, she said, was part of her three-key point agenda as POWA president, which are education, health and welfare.

She, however, distributed sewing machines, grinding machines and food items such as bags of rice and cartoons of noodles, to assist them to support their families, promising to sustain the efforts in other states.

Handing over the items to the beneficiaries, the president said: “We want you to know that POWA remembers you and will never abandon you.”

Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries, Godiya Ayuba, Msugh Mariam and Ahmed Halima, expressed appreciation to the POWA president, and pray God to bless her to succeed in her tenure.