Olusegun Mimiko, the governor of Ondo State, has revealed on Sunday, January 15, 2017 that his administration has empowered more than 250 widows of fallen troops of the Nigerian military in the last 6 years.
Governor Mimiko who dropped the hint at this 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance day celebration held at the Cenotaph in Akure, the state’s capital, said loans were made available to the widows so that they will be less dependent on the society for survival.
He commended the military for defiling all odds in the war against insurgency and sought more support for them to enable them record more success against all forms of insurrection in the country.
“It is also important that we remember those our fallen heroes have left behind through our little contribution to ensure they do not live in poverty,” Dr. Mimiko said at the event, which is his last a governor.
“This is why the scheme we instituted six years ago is very appropriate and I will make sure I give it a pride of place in our handover notes as a profound legacy that we desire should be sustained not only for these heroes but the very essence of the value system in our nation.”
Also at the event, state government disbursed N1. 7 million loan to some widows under its “Widows Resettlement and Empowerment Loan Scheme”.
Mimiko, after inspecting the guard of honor later led others to lay the wreath in honor of the fallen heroes as well as cut the Reveille which signifies peace and tranquility in the state.
Others who laid the wreaths were; the Commander 32 Artillery Brigade, Brig. General Charles Ofoche; the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Forward Operation Base, Igbokoda, Navy Commodore E. N Lamiri; the state Commissioner of Police and Hilda Ibifuro Harrison.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Olasinmi Akindele-Odunmbaku, explained that apart from the interest free loan given to the widows of the fallen heroes, government has also offered free skills acquisition training for the interested widows, and as well given cash gifts to assist them.
Also speaking, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Hilda Ibifuro Harrison and the State Chairman of Nigerian Legion, Major Vincent Abiola said the fallen heroes should always be remembered for defending the territorial integrity of the country, while the families left behind should also be given the desired support.
