Anambra Nigerian Legion, Heavy Duty Military Widows Beg Soludo For Vehicles, Land

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The Anambra State chapter of Nigerian Legion and the State Heavy Duty Military Widows Association, have pleaded to Governor Charles Soludo for operational vehicles, land and finance to enable them perform effectively.

The duo made the plea during the celebration of the 2024 armed forces remembrance day held at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, state capital

Making the plea, the State chairman of Nigerian Legion, Chief Agbogu Benedict, while thanking God for the successful occasion expressed optimism that the Governor would come to their rescue by providing them with their demands adding that their relationship with the state government is cordial.

“Our relationship with the government is very cordial, we want government to support us with land to put up our state secretariat, we want government to give us operational vehicle, and to support us financially to assist our elderly ones, those who are incapacitated, those who sustained various degrees of injuries during the civil war and operations.

“The widows of the fallen heroes even need assistance, the Governor has been wonderful, in terms of infrastructural development of the state, he has a very good relationship with us, quite unlike the former governor, he is a friendly governor,” he further disclosed.

Also speaking, Hon. Awele Menkiti, the state chairman of Heavy Duty Military Widows Association, pleaded to the Governor for vehicles and land to build their secretariat adding that lack of the two items have continued to hinder the smooth running of the association.

“We as Heavy Duty drivers have continued to assist those military widows as they have their dependants most of who are children having lost their husbands in battle and that is why we assist them and provide skill acquisition centres for them and award scholarship to the indigent students among them.

“We commend Governor Soludo for the water- tight security he put in place this Yuletide period which prompted those those living outside the he state to return for the Yuletide celebration.

“The Special Anti Tout Squad, he launched contributed immensely to the sack of criminals in the state as people can now sleep with their two eyes closed. If not for this anti touting squad by now this state would have been boiling.

“We commend the governor for setting up this outfit, one of my challenges is support from the government like provision of vehicles, offices to run the union, among others,” he stated.

In his own contribution, Hon.Chinonso Unamba, Head of operation, Military Widows, Police and Heavy Duty Widows Association, disclosed that they ensure that the military widows are united and satisfied to avoid gnashing of teeth.

“The National President of the Military Widows, Mrs Veronica Aluku, who made us to participate on the armed forces remembrance day, has contributed immensely for better welfare to members of the association who are mostly widows.

“The wives of the fallen heroes and their dependants, those who sacrificed themselves for you and I, and the country, are in dare need of assistance and we will not allow them to die. They fought for us,” he revealed.

According to him, the Federal government and we need to work in synergy with the Federal Government to improve on the welfare of those widows to enable them fend for themselves.

Contributing, the National President of the Heavy Duty Military Widows Association, Chief Rogers Uche Nebuwa, stated that, ‘Governor Soludo is trying by setting up an outfit, anti touting squad and other security operatives who made sure that these touts are sacked out of the road.

“I can proudly now pass through Upper Iweka without problem.
I am here to celebrate the army remembrance day in Anambra with the widows and dependants of the military personnel in Anambra state.

“In terms of security, I count on Prof. Soludo as number one because we have been in Anambra with the past governors of the state, none has performed well like Soludo on security, look at Upper Iweka now, Ukpor in Nnewi South,I am. a coordinator in Ukpor, I don’t go there but now, I can be there at anytime, unlike Ihiala, Isseke, among others that are boiling now.

“I commend the Governor and I am pleading to him to help us out on this military widows and their dependants. The fallen heroes died because of us, so I will be very happy if the governor helps us to help the wives of this fallen heroes and their defendants.

“People before now don’t like recruitment into police, army but now, with this association, young boys are eager to be recruited. We, the supporters of the military widows cannot wade into military affairs. We assist them financially and that is why they don’t bother much if Government does not pay them their entitlement.

“In terms of helping them, we have the leader of the military widows, Mrs Veronica Aluku, their National president, and they also have their branches and heads in every state.

“So whatever we want to give them we do it through their national President, we are working for the dead not the living ones, and each and everyone of us should work in accordance with the law and order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he pleaded.

Recall that the highlight of the occasion was laying of wreath by Gov, Charles Soludo, Deputy Gov, speaker House of Assembly, State Chief Judge, Commander 302 Military Cantonment, Police Commissioner, Commander Naval outpost Onitsha, state Chairman Nigerian Legion, among others.

Pic 1 shows National President of heavy duty military widows on white (middle) and his executives