By Femi Akinwale
Wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Barr. (Mrs) Victoria Irabor, has urged Military personnel to always cherish their wives, appreciate and always shower them with love and affection. This is imperative, she said, as wives continue to hold forth when officers and men are away in the line of duty serving the nation.
Victoria Irabor, who is the President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association, DEPOWA, made this call at the launch of Arc. Abimbola Ogunbiyi’s book, “The Military Wife: Quiet, Confident and Strong”, held at the at Abalti Barracks, Lagos.
Irabor said that the launch of the book was apt as it was a unique opportunity for wives of military men to tell their stories of how they have been holding forth and keeping their homes despite their husband’s absence.
She lauded the author for having a thoughtful drive to open up on the challenges wives of military men face as they remain resolute in keeping their homes and standing firm, despite the uncertainty about the future of their husband, the next minute.
Chairman of the occasion, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Abiodun Role, lauded the author for the feat.He also used the forum to extol and celebrate all military men’s wives for standing firm and being the backbone of their husbands.
“All the feat I achieved during my service year in the military is through the help and prayers of my wife. Our wives are our bedrock, they are simply amazing.
“I was erroneously arrested in 1995 for Coup and I was detained for seven months. My Wife never doubted my integrity. I was later exonerated and a senior colleague of mine told me that truly I married my wife, because she stood firm and kept on saying she trusted me that I can never plan a coup.
“The prayers of our wives have sustained us to this present level. What Mrs Abimbola Ogunbiyi has done is that she has given voice, light and print to what our wives stand for”.
The 237 Page Book with 10 Chapters and two forewords written by Rear Admiral Itunu and Victoria Irabor was reviewed by Kunle Kasumu of Channels Book Club.
Presenting the Book was Chief Kunle Uthman, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State for the 2023 Election.
Dignitaries at the book launch include; Mrs Alero Azazi, wife of former National Security Adviser, Patrick Owoeye Azazi; HRH Oba Abdulwahab Ogunbiyi, the Eleku of Odo Eku, Pastor Femi Atoyebi, among some top military officers.
