PSNAFSA urges governments, private sector to emulate First Lady’s gesture
A group dedicated to supporting Nigeria’s Armed Forces and other security agencies, Prayer and Support for Nigerian Armed Forces and Other Security Agencies (PSNAFSA), has commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for providing financial assistance to widows of fallen military and police personnel.
The group described the intervention, implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), as a compassionate gesture that recognised the sacrifices made by security personnel who lost their lives in the service of the country.
Under the initiative, 1,638 widows of fallen personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force received N500,000 each, bringing the total financial intervention to N819 million.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Ambassador Mary Abayomi-Fatile, PSNAFSA said the gesture demonstrated compassion for families left behind by personnel who paid the ultimate price defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity, peace and security.
The group said those who regularly pray for and support the nation’s security agencies understood the enormous sacrifices made by military and police personnel in the line of duty.
“Behind every fallen hero is a family that must continue to live with the pain of loss,” the organisation said, stressing that widows and children of fallen personnel remained part of the enduring legacy of the nation’s heroes.
PSNAFSA noted that the financial assistance could enable beneficiaries to establish new businesses or strengthen existing ones, thereby helping them achieve greater economic independence and provide for their families.
The group said supporting families of fallen heroes should not be viewed through the lens of politics or individual interests, but as a national responsibility.
“We believe that supporting the families of fallen heroes is a responsibility that transcends politics, administration and individual interests. It is a national duty,” the statement said.
PSNAFSA urged governments at all levels, corporate organisations, private individuals and other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the First Lady’s gesture by supporting widows and children of personnel who died in the service of the country.
It acknowledged that no financial intervention could replace a lost husband, father or loved one, but said assistance from government and society could provide hope, dignity and reassurance to bereaved families.
The organisation also called on the Federal Government to sustain and expand welfare programmes for widows and children of fallen military, police and other security personnel.
It identified education, healthcare, housing, skills acquisition and sustainable economic empowerment as areas requiring continued government attention.
According to the group, long-term interventions in these areas would help ensure that families of fallen heroes were not left vulnerable after the loss of their breadwinners.
PSNAFSA further described the N819 million intervention as a timely demonstration that the sacrifices of fallen security personnel had not been forgotten.
The organisation expressed appreciation to Senator Oluremi Tinubu and prayed for continued wisdom, strength and grace for the First Lady to sustain initiatives aimed at providing support and relief to vulnerable Nigerians.
