From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, Thursday, decried various cultural practices in Nigeria that oppress widows and permit women to be stripped off of properties at the demise of their husbands.
He said all efforts must be made to protect widows, especially those of the men of the Armed Forces who have lost their lives in the cause of safeguarding the nation.
Yahaya spoke at the launch of the book “Teardrops of a Widow” at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The book was written by Mrs Hassana Abubakar in collaboration with the Police Wives Association of Nigeria (POWA).
He said, “We must support and protect the families of our men of the forces who have lost their lives in the course of safeguarding us.
“I have never lost a wife but I remember as a son, my mother experienced widowhood. When my dad died. I could only imagine the pains, the sorrows that my mother went through. There are many cultural, religious and social practices that cause a lot of trauma, a lot of pains and a lot of frustrations for women by encouraging extended families to snatch their husbands properties once the man dies. These practices have serious consequences on the widows, the children and the society at large”
He commended the author of the book for her efforts in bringing to light, the plight of the widow, decribing it as a great feat. He encouraged others to think of ways to advance the course of widows in the country.
Also speaking, wife of Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) and President of POWA, Mrs Hajara Alkali Baba disclosed that the book, which chronicles the experiences of the author as a widow of a Police Officer left with nine children to look after, serves as an inspiration to other widows and demonstrates the urgent need to improve the welfare of wives and children of officers who died in the line of duty, by adequately caterring for them.
She said “This book is quite unique as it forms three points of my agenda since assuming office as the President of our great association. This book aims at achieving the following; eliminating the hardships faced by fallen heroes, and men of the Nigerian Police Force after the the death of their bread winners, protecting those women from harmful traditional practices and upholding the values of wives of fallen Nigeria men of the Police Force. Under my watch, POWA is repositioned as a vehicle for conveying quality education, healthcare and welfare in the Nigerian Police Force.”
First Lady, Aisha Buhari, represented by Lauretta Onochie, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media said stories like the one in the book would help to give a peek into the hard and difficult life of a widow. She added that widows must be empowered with knowledge and skills to equip them to be able to adequately care for their families and reduce the economic pressure the may encounter.