Family Empowerment Initiative (FEI), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), has described the various programmes of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) as a morale booster to serving military personnel.

The President of the Group, Mrs Felicia Adamu, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the programmes were a relief to burdens households within the military family were faced with.

Adamu said the recent graduation of 63 widows of the deceased personnel of the armed forces who acquired training in various vocational skills was highly commendable.

She said the beneficiaries acquired skills in catering and hotel management, fashion designing, computer science, cosmetology, make-up and gele tying, detergent production and hairdressing.

According to her, the various programmes will definitely bring relief to families and widows of fallen heroes and vulnerable youths.

Adamu commended the President of DEPOWA, Mrs Vickie Irabor, for the initiative and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and the Service Chiefs for supporting DEPOWA’s social intervention programmes.

“The various programmes of DEPOWA under Mrs Irabor are indeed speaking to the need of households.

“They are morale boosters to our troops who are engaged in various operations across the country against the enemies of Nigeria.

“We commend the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor for the non-kinetic strategies adopted in dealing with the security challenges in the country.

“We appeal to beneficiaries to make maximum use of this opportunity. We also appeal to Nigerians to continue to support our Armed Forces as they make sacrifices for peace and stability of our country,” she said.