The National Personal Asset Acquisition Scheme (NAPAAS) has established a service centre workshop and skill acquisition training centre to empower the wives of ex-servicemen and widows of the fallen heroes in Nigeria.
Speaking at the official opening of the NAPAAS Assembling Plant and Service Centre named ‘Muhammadu Buhari Centre’ in Abuja, the scheme’s managing director, Mr. Wali Aminu Bello, explained that the purpose of establishing the skill acquisition training centre was to equip the widows of those who lost their husbands in the course of service to their country. He advised the widows to utilise the rare opportunity to be self reliant.
He appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashiru Magashi, the Nigerian Legion, security agencies, the National Assembly and stakeholders for the endorsement of the scheme.
Earlier, the NAPAAS national coordinator, Mr. Eze Nnadi, said the plight of the widows of the fallen heroes was one of the major reasons why NAPAAS was established in 2016, adding apart from training, the scheme had also offered scholarship, loans and provided health care services, farming equipment and affordable shelter to the widows. He enjoined the women to pay keen attention during the training to get the utmost benefit of the exercise.
In his remarks, the president, Ex-Servicemen Association, Warrant Officer Anthony Agbas (rtd) who commended NAPAAS for its laudable contribution to veterans and the widows of fallen heroes, urged it to imbibe the spirit of hard work and determination.
Earlier, the training facilitator, Mrs. Hadiza Kuta, said the training was to develop the widows to be self reliant. She encouraged them and prayed that God would grant them wisdom to remain good mothers.
NAPAAS is a public-private partnership initiative endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari in an effort to find a lasting solution, and finally address the plight of the Nigerian veterans and pensioners in general. It is an economic empowerment program for an improved standard of living, self-reliance, self-sustenance, the eradication of poverty, crime, and insecurity and which creates an opportunity for employment, rehabilitation and re-integration, and wealth creation for interested ex-servicemen, ex-paramilitary and organized pension bodies.
