COWA president visits Customs Zone C in PH, pledges empowerment - ITREALMS

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The National President of the Customs Officers' Wives Association (COWA), Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi, has paid a maiden visit to the Nigeria Customs Service Zone C, Zonal Headquarters Area 1, in Port Harcourt Rivers, reports ITREALMS.

She also declared her focus on specific areas of needs of her members to enable them effectively set up and manage businesses without compromising their duties on the home front.


Disclosing these penultimate Wednesday to ITREALMS during her visit Adeniyi outlined the aims of COWA.

These, she noted to include organizing seminars and workshops for wives of Customs officers and members of the larger society, promoting activities that will support the federal government's poverty eradication programme as well as reducing infant and maternal mortality, promoting and supporting the welfare of COWA and establishing schools and skills acquisition centers said they have strong and active Board of Trustees and executives to drive their objectives, even as she said they have identified some specific areas of needs for her members which according to her, include training of members on family health and well-being, skills acquisition, business training and empowerment programnes.

Others include support to the wives and children of fallen officers, support for orphanages, embarking on campaign against drug abuse and promotion of basic education.

She added “our training aims to enable COWA members to effectively set up and manage businesses without compromising their duties on the home front", Noting that they estimated that about 1,200 COWA members would benefit from these training between now and the end of 2024.

Adeniyi who also used the occasion to felicitate with the zonal coordinator Zone C, Nigeria Customs Headquarters, Port Harcourt ACG Olugboyega Peters on the sacrifices his officers and men are making to facilitate trade, fight smuggling, and collect revenue as well as keep Nigeria and Nigerians safe insisted that officers wives should not impose unnecessary stress on their husbands. "I appeal to you not to impose unnecessary stress on your husbands, make the home a place of rest and comfort for them when the return after a hard day's work" Adeniyi admonished.

She said she was very happy that Area 1,has blazed the trail in organizing a two day sensitization seminar on drug abuse and other relevant issues adding that "our campaign against drug abuse was conceived out of a compelling need to support the government in eliminating the scourge of hard drugs in the Country." According to her, "drug abuse is a complex disease that affects millions of people worldwide."

In her welcome address, the chairperson, COWA Nigeria Customs Area 1 Command Port Harcourt, Chapter, Barr, Mrs., Maryam Mustapha Hashim has expressed her chapter's delight in welcoming the National president, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi describing the visit as a turning point in the history of the Association even as she commended what she termed exceptional leadership qualities of the President which accounted for her numerous achievements in a short period of time, on assumption of office.

Hashim said her team was optimistic that the president's leadership in COWA would attract sustainable growth and development in the lives of their members.

"Since the taking over from my predecessor two weeks ago, we have succeeded in setting up the administrative structure of the chapter, renovation of COWA office accommodation and repairs of COWA bus", she said.

Continuing, Mrs. Hashim said the chapter has organized a Workshop in collaboration with the chartered Institute of mentoring and coaching with the theme Empowered Mindset and the positive intelligence for women.

Speaking further, Mrs. Hashim insisted that the resource person (Dr, Rotimi Matthew) has succeeded through the Seminar to expose their members to some of the challenges faced by women both in the workplace and at the home front

She said some aspects of the workshop include Self development awareness, Business development, Drug Abuse and addiction management, abuse and technique among others.

She noted that her chapter would venture into more collaborative efforts with other institutions to expose members to other vocational skills and empowerment that will impact positively on the lives of members and ensure sustainable growth and development for all.

In his comment, the Zonal Coordinator Customs Zone C, ACG Olugboyega Peters praised the CGC’s wife for driving the revitalization of COWA in such a short time of her assumption of office. He went further to posit that COWA was formed in 2009 with the aim to promote the welfare of the families of Customs officers, to foster unity, friendship and understanding among members.

He also used the opportunity to thank all the Comptrollers, officers and men of Customs zone C, which he said is made up of the 11 states of the south East and South-South geopolitical zones

High point of the occasion was the conferment of award of excellence to the wife of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi into the fellow of the chartered institute of mentoring and Coaching by the Director General of the institute Dr, Rotimi Matthew.

There was Cultural Dance Display by the Rivers state ministry of Arts and Culture, Drama presentation by the police Officers’ wife and distribution of food items to the widows of customs fallen heroes among others.

*Bon Peters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State/Editor