By Hassan Zaggi
The Wife of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hajiya Hajara Baba Usman Alkali, has revived the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), after many years of remaining dormant.
Hajiya Hajara Baba Usman Alkali, who is the President of POWA, however, vowed to transform the group so that it will be able to achieve its founding aim of empowering wives of police officers and their families.
Speaking at the maiden convention of the POWA, in Abuja, weekend, Hajiya Usman Alkali, said that she is determined to transform the lives of Police families through better health care, education, and welfare package.
She reiterated that she is coming onboard with new hopes and expectations to change the face of POWA across board, bringing oneness, prosperity and positive results across all police formations.
According to her: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you today to this august occasion in the month of July 2021.
“This is my maiden convention since my assumption into office as the 21st President of the Police officers’ Wives Association.
“This joyous occasion is meant to unveil the new face of POWA and her three points agenda under my watch as I mark 66 days in office.
“We are set to transform the lives of Police families through better health care, education, and welfare package.
“Our gathering at this convention is quite symbolic as it witnesses today for the first time under my leadership the bringing together of Wives of Deputy Inspector Generals, Assistant Inspector Generals, Senior Female Police Officers, National Executives and chairpersons of POWA across the nation with the aim of harmonizing our unity of purpose as we discuss the way forward for POWA.
“Coming on board, POWA has not been in existence for some time now, but with the fatherly disposition and passion of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Baba Usman Alkali who saw the need for women to be empowered and for equal representation for the female gender as he deemed it fit to set the ball rolling. For this POWA is immensely grateful to him.”
The three points agenda, according to her, include empowerment of our women and youth; lending a voice to the plight of POWA women, children and police women and improving the well-being of wives and children of the police.
She disclosed that: “My 66 days in office has been characterized with various empowerment programs where fashion designing equipment’s, freezers, sewing machines, freezers, grinding machines as well as other items worth millions of naira was given out to the less privileged and to the wives of deceased officers.
“Free medical outreach was extended to female police officers, police wives and children across police hospitals.
“I Initiated the physical fitness exercise across all police formations to keep body and soul together.
“Constant environmental sanitation exercise was initiated across police formations to cater for our environment.
“I have constantly visited Police children schools where the pupils are motivated and supplied with free teaching materials and scholarships awarded.”
Earlier, IGP, Baba Usman Alkali, charged the women to support their husbands in the discharge of their duties.
Represented by DIG Sanusi Lemu, Department of Finance and Administration, the IGP urged the women to work as a team so that they can achieve the set goals of POWA leadership of improving the lives of women and children of police officers in the country.
