BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
It promises to be a joyful Christmas for the Police Officers Wives Association under the leadership of Hajia Hajara Usman Alkali, wife of the Inspector General of Police as Emeka Offor Foundation on Monday donated 1200 bags of 25 kilogrammes of rice to the association.
Presenting the items, Vice President of the foundation, Adaora Offor, said the bags of rice are for distribution to families of deceased and seriously injured service personnel who died in the line of duty or got seriously injured fighting crime and criminality.
She said the thoughts and vision of the founder, Sir Emeka Offor, for the Foundation catalysed to the philanthropic gesture the POWA just received.
“Sir Emeka Offor Foundation as a non-governmental, non-profit organization operates on a tripod as our core values. We are engaged in activities revolving around health and human services, education and educational development and empowerment and social interventions. These activities are aimed at mitigating the challenges of poverty and creating life improving opportunities for the marginalized and vulnerable groups in our society.
“We are, therefore, here today to share love, show empathy, re-energise our collective patriotism and encourage the humanity in all of us to show compassion and touch lives.”
While conveying the Foundation’s deepest sympathies to the families of deceased serving Police personnel who laid their lives to keep Nigerians alive, Adaora Offor said, “Law enforcement is a challenging vocation. Our Policemen keep awake while we sleep. They take the heat as the first line of our collective defence/protection and may not be lucky all the time. They therefore pay the supreme prices on behalf of all of us.”
The foundation’s vice president further assured the seriously injured personnel who may be receiving treatment at various hospitals and health centres in various parts of the country that they are remembered in prayers and that the healing powers of the Almighty God shall resolve their challenges very soon.
She commended POWA President on the various Welfare programmes she has initiated since assumption of office, adding, “Life is sweeter when love is shared. Leaders are happier when they put smiles on the faces of their members. May your generosity of heart continue to put smiles on the faces of your members as I encourage them to support you to achieve the aims and objectives of POWA.”
Receiving the items, President of POWA and wife of the IGP, Hajia Hajara Usman Alkali said she felt greatly humbled by the kind hearted benevolence and show of love the Foundation extended to the families of the officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force through the worthy partnership with POWA.
She said this philanthropic gesture is quite timely, especially coming at this crucial time of economic hardship, saying, “This will no doubt cushion the hardship faced by families of gallant officers and men on the front line.
“You have indeed taken a noble path in alleviating the hardship faced by Police families which will serve as a morale booster in aiding performance of officers and men of the force in the discharge of their constitutional mandate.”
Earlier, the Chief of Staff to Emeka Offor, AIG Chris Ezike(retd), said the Foundation has thousands of widows on its programme which has by no little means empowered and alleviated their problems.
He disclosed that the Foundation will on Tuesday move to Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA) to also gift them the items.
Ezike said beyond the payment of school fees for indigent children, provision of food items for families as witnessed at POWA on Monday, the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation will from next year begin the commissioning and handing over of houses built for the widows and downtrodden in the society.