By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Female Military Veterans Association of Nigeria (FMVAN), was on Monday inaugurated in Abuja.
The Chairperson, Board of Trustees (BOT) of FMVAN, retired Maj.-Gen. Abimbola Amusu, said the inauguration of the new association was significant as the day was being commemorated and celebrated as veterans day.
She said that the new association would promote the welfare and well-being of all retired female personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
She noted that military veterans deserved to be recognised and celebrated in Nigeria, adding that the event would encourage both the corporate and social sphere to recognise the veterans.
She also noted that women had played significant roles in the military worldwide predating the two world wars, which increased their roles considerably from the rear to the forward edge of the battle area.
According to her, after the world wars, many of these service women were forgotten with little record of their contribution to the war effort.
”Some were disabled, some left and had no homes to go back to, and for some who paid the supreme price, their families only grieved silent death.
”They were neither rehabilitated nor given recognition. The service of women at war costs more than just the burden of putting their lives on hold.
”They have to defer marriage, they have to defer having children, or even pursuing a higher education and the service often results in permanent physical and mental disability apart from the loss of lives.
”Now, in spite of their training and working alongside their male counterparts while in the service, female military women appear to retire into oblivion and this explains why we should remember some female veterans.”
Amusu, who was the second woman to attain the rank of a major general in the Nigerian Army, said the new association was to celebrate one another as female veterans.
She added that the association would also serve as a forum for them to interact, engage intellectually, socially and emotionally.
”You know that as females, very often, we want to engage socially and speak for military veterans, irrespective of service and rank,” she said.
According to her, the diversity of the association will be its source of strength, and membership is open to all retired female military personnel.
The Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Onwukah, said the forum would provide avenue for them to honor the women who dared to stand on the front lines, wore their uniforms with pride, and served with unwavering dedication to the nation.
Rochas-Onwukah said that the women had sacrificed greatly for the ideals of peace, unity, security, and national pride, worn uniforms with valor, laid down their lives and had continued to carry the indomitable spirit of service.
She explained that the establishment of the association was both timely and essential at a time when the world was recognising the indispensable role of women in the security and defence platforms.
”Your association stands as a powerful reminder that female veterans are not just warriors.
”These remarkable women, sitting right here in this room, are united by a mission, bound by a new purpose, and driven by a relentless commitment to continue their service beyond the battlefield,” she said.
The National Chairman, Nigerian Legion, retired Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jibrin, said the FMVAN, was one of the many veterans associations working with the legion to promote welfare of military veterans.
Jibrin congratulated the leadership of FMVAN, and expressed confidence in their ability to deliver the objective of the association.
The National Coordinator of FMVAN, Morenike Grace-Henry, said the idea to form the association was conceived in the United States of America where female military veterans had similar body.
Grace-Henry said that many female military veterans were facing many challenges that required collective efforts of all veterans to alleviate their challenges.
She said that many of the female veterans were either unmarried or single mothers, saying that the military career made it difficult for them to have a home of their own or to have children of their own.
She added that the association had plans to have offices nationwide to support the members and advocate for female veterans in the country.
According to her, FMVAN is partnering with government corporate organisations and the military to achieve its objectives.(NAN)
