Customs CG’s wife, Kikelomo, commissions COWA’s office, empowers fallen officers’ widows in Sokoto
By Ankeli Emmanuel, Sokoto
Wife of the Comptroller General (CG) of Nigerian Customs Service and President, Customs Officers Wives’ Association of Nigeria (COWA), Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi has said she derives joy from empowering people, adding that it is the surest way to unlocking potentials.
Mrs. Adeniyi, who spoke at the Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command headquarters in Sokoto during her empowerment programme, reassured that, COWA prioritizes the health and well-being of officers’ families.
“Empowerment is key to unlocking potentials and today we are here to empower widows of Customs Officers that have lost their husbands while working for the Nigeria Customs Service,” Mrs. Adeniyi enthused.
The COWA President, who further noted that the Association can only build a stronger and brighter future for members’ families through creating businesses to sustain livelihoods, added that, parents should equally be concerned about healthy living.
Talking on her programme, “Healthy Wife, Wealthy Life” initiative, Mrs. Adeniyi said when a woman is healthy, the tendency for the entire home to be vibrant and healthy is high, stressing that women are the pillars, strength, nurturers and domestic engineers of the home.
“So, we created the initiative to make sure that even as we are giving them this empowerment and skills, they must have good health to make a living out of what we have handed to them. We encourage them to go for medical check-ups, engage in exercises and live healthy lives,” she said.
While appealing to parents, caregivers and community leaders to intensify campaign on vaccination acceptability, Mrs. Adeniyi said, she is also leading the campaign on Measles-Rubela vaccination to help protect the future of their children.
“As mothers, caregivers, and community leaders, we must understand the importance of safeguarding our little ones. Measles and Rubela are serious threats, but vaccination can save lives”.
Also talking about her tree planting campaign, “Green Border Sustainability Initiative,” Mrs. Adeniyi said it’s another of her modest initiatives targeted at mitigating effects of climate change by ensuring afforestation.
Earlier, wife of Sokoto State governor, Fatima Ahmed Aliyu commended the giant strides recorded by the COWA President’s widows’ empowerment programme, the tree planting campaign as well as the commissioning of the COWA office in Sokoto.
Mrs. Aliyu, who said the initiatives were not only symbolic but represent hope, resilience, growth, and community service that reflect the compassionate spirit and sense of responsibility that the Nigeria Customs Service and COWA continue to demonstrate toward humanity.
“Our gathering today reminds us of an important truth, that when you empower a woman, you empower a community. Widows in our communities face numerous challenges – emotional, social, and economic. Many shoulder the burden of raising children alone while striving to maintain dignity and stability.
“Through this empowerment program, we are not just giving support, we are restoring confidence and opening doors of opportunity. It is a clear message that these women are not forgotten, and that our society stands firmly with them”.
