By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The Nigeria Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) says it has distributed food and relief items to over 620 widows, teachers, and pupils in Rivers.
NAOWA’s President, Mrs Mariya Lagbaja distributed the palliatives to the beneficiaries at the headquarters of the 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items distributed were half bags of rice; cartons of noodles; buckets of vegetable oil and undisclosed amount of cash to the widows and teachers.
Other items donated were school bags, books and writing materials to over 500 pupils of the NAOWA Nursery and Primary School in the army barrack.
Lagbaja aldo inaugurated a remodelled NAOWA Model Nursery and Primary School, 6 Division Creche and Nursery School, and the newly built NAOWA Park as well as flagged-off the construction of NAOWA Junior Secondary School.
The NAOWA president, who is the wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, praised the Chairperson of NAOWA in the division, Mrs Maryam Abdulsalam for advancing education in the barracks.
“I must commend NAOWA chairperson in 6 Division for her total overhaul of school structure and equipment in this promising (school) facility as well as the NAOWA Park.
“Mrs Abdulsalam, within the short period as chairperson, has transformed facilities, a testament that she is an elegant mother with a heart of gold.
“Going by what is on ground, she is devoted to adding value to NAOWA assets, and advancing the educational pursuit of our children in the barrack community,” she said.
She said the several projects in the barracks keyed into her vision of sustaining legacies through unwavering commitment to unity and service for the betterment of humanity.
“Abdulsalam has by her actions, crested her name in gold on the records of NAOWA’s structural development and strengthening of the narrative of our noble association.
“I commend the chairperson; all members of NAOWA, 6 Division chapter for these magnificent achievements and call on all to emulate this achievement.
“Presiding members at all levels should emulate these achievements and come up with good initiatives that will impact positively on the barrack community and the society at large,” Lagbaja added.
On her part, Abdulsalam said her passion towards the promotion of education made her embark on upgrading schools and other NAOWA facilities in the division’s barracks.
She said upon her assumption of office in April that the primary school was in deplorable condition, hence her decision to immediately rehabilitate the facility.
“The school was in a terrible state and was not conducive for learning.
“The school was originally meant to be an incentive for the barracks community but was left to deteriorate to the level that majority of wards were attending school outside the barracks.
“The level of deterioration created a burning desire for an improvement to be made, and so, fixing the school to an acceptable standard became imperative,” she said.
The NOAWA chairperson said the rehabilitated school had created a conducive environment where pupils can flourish both academically and socially. (NAN)
