By Stella Odueme
The Nigerian Legion has empowered military veterans, widows of fallen heroes and wounded military personnel with vocational equipment and other support materials as part of efforts to improve their welfare and promote economic independence.
The empowerment programme, held on Thursday in Abuja, was organised in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the leadership of the National Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Ms Grace Morenike Henry.
A total of 120 received sewing machines, grinding machines, 25kg of rice, and wheelchairs depending on what they picked in the deep-in exercise aside wheelchairs.
Speaking at the event, Henry reaffirmed the Legion’s commitment to its primary responsibility of catering for the welfare of veterans and families of fallen heroes, saying her administration had recorded significant achievements in that regard.
She disclosed that the Legion had made available tailoring machines, grinding machines, hair dryers, wigs and 25-kilogramme bags of rice to beneficiaries to support their livelihoods.
According to her, the Legion had also secured collaboration with Nigerian Inland Waterways for the establishment of opportunities that would create employment for veterans and their children.
She further disclosed that the Legion had recovered its properties in Lagos, which are currently undergoing development into residential apartments by Studio 24.
Henry said the Legion had also entered into a partnership with Studio 24 to train 100 beneficiaries in photography, videography and other related skills, adding that the company had agreed to provide starter packs to participants after their training.
She listed the recovery of the Legion’s land in Nasarawa State, which was threatened by the activities of land grabbers, as another major achievement of her administration.
The National Chairman recalled that her vision upon assuming office was to improve the living conditions of veterans, restore their dignity and honour, and ensure that families of fallen heroes received adequate support.
She urged retired military personnel not to withdraw from contributing to national development, particularly in the areas of community safety and security.
According to her, retirement should not prevent veterans from using their experience to support efforts to address insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.
“Once a soldier, always a soldier. Soldiers are needed anywhere, everywhere and anytime,” she said.
Henry also advocated the establishment of a Ministry of Veterans Affairs, stressing that such an institution would provide a stronger framework for addressing the needs of retired military personnel and their families.
In his remarks, the representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Williams, commended Henry for sustaining the empowerment initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to improving the welfare of veterans.
He said the programme was consistent with the Chief of Defence Staff’s Soldiers First philosophy, particularly at a time when rising living costs had increased the economic challenges facing retired military personnel.
Williams disclosed that the Defence Headquarters was visiting the six geopolitical zones to sensitise veterans and support their participation in skills acquisition programmes.
He said the initiative was aimed at equipping veterans with relevant skills to enable them to remain economically productive after retirement.
Also speaking, the representative of the Minister of Defence, Major General G.S. Abdullahi, said the minister was pleased with the initiative and remained committed to programmes that improved the welfare of veterans.
He disclosed that the minister had constituted a committee to assess the welfare needs of veterans across the country.
According to him, the committee had visited all six geopolitical zones, interacted with veterans and compiled their concerns into a report, which would soon be submitted to the minister.
Abdullahi assured veterans that the government was considering measures to improve their welfare, urging them to remain law-abiding and continue supporting national development.
The National President of Military Widows, Mrs Maria Emanuel, described Henry’s leadership as a period of unprecedented support for military widows and veterans.
She said the current administration of the Legion had organised four empowerment programmes, providing assistance beyond the annual Army Remembrance Day and humanitarian activities.
Emanuel expressed appreciation to the National Chairman for consistently supporting widows and other vulnerable members of the military community.
She urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the materials received, noting that the objective of empowerment was to help retired personnel and their families achieve financial independence rather than depend on handouts.
In a related development, an emergency management official disclosed that about 167 veterans would be inducted as certified disaster safety and emergency managers under a community first responders initiative.
The official explained that the programme was designed to equip retired military personnel with the knowledge and skills required to respond to emergencies, including insecurity, disasters and other crises.
The initiative, he said, would enable the veterans to complement the efforts of government institutions in emergency response and community safety.
Representing Seyi Tinubu, Mr Frank Njoku, thanked the veterans for their sacrifices to the country and pledged continued support for their welfare.
“It is my honour to identify with you, and I will continue to work with you and support you in any way I can,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the veteran community, a beneficiary expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the programme had contributed to improving the welfare of veterans.
He also commended Henry for her commitment to fulfilling promises made to veterans, describing her leadership as a source of renewed hope for members of the Legion.
All the beneficiaries particularly praised the efforts of the chairman to reach out to veterans across different states, noting that her interventions had brought positive changes to the organisation and its members.
They urged the government and other stakeholders to sustain their support for veterans, widows and families of fallen heroes.
