NAOWA inaugurates staff quarters, hall for schools

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) on Saturday inaugurated staff quarters for NAOWA College and 500 seater multipurpose hall for NAOWA Model Nursery and Primary School in Abuja

Some deserving members of staff including teaching and non-teaching staff the two schools were also honoured with gift items for years of meritorious service.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the staff quarter was named after Mrs Nnena Ihejirika, the 500 seat auditorium was named after Mrs Martha Bamayi, both former presidents of NAOWA.

While Mrs Bamayi established the NAOWA model school in 1999, Mrs Ihejirika established NAOWA college in 2013.

The incumbent president of NAOWA, Mrs Salamatu Yahaya said the structures were products of her vision of Sustaining Legacies and Upholding the Tenets of Unity and Service.

Yahaya said that past leaders of NAOWA had carved a niche for themselves and secured ample space in the associations hall of fame through their remarkable leadership styles and establishments of sustainable legacies.

According to her, sustaining these legacies through maintenance of existing structures, construction of additional structures, standardisation of all facilities and enhancement of quality services through capacity development programmes for NAOWA members and staff, are the operating principles of her vision.

This Commissioning Ceremony is an avenue to celebrate and immortalize two great NAOWA past Presidents who have made noteworthy impacts in the growth structure of NAOWA.

In this regards, we resolved that the newly constructed Staff Quarters here at the NAOWA College Abuja be named Mrs Nnenna Ihejirika Staff Quarters and the Multipurpose Hall at NAOWA Model Nursery and Primary School Asokoro be named: Mrs Martha Bamaiyi Multipurpose Hall.

This is indeed, our way of showing respect and also engraving continuity as a mantra in the leadership structure of NAOWA at all levels.

It is also a way of preserving history for the benefit of NAOWA members, prospective leaders. staff and students of these institutions, as well as the public at large, she said.

NAOWA president said that the 19 members of staff rewarded with gift items, had put in an average of 15 years meritorious service in the services of the two schools located in Asokoro.

She said the gesture was their way of showing appreciation for their hard work, commitment, perseverance and determination in the developmental process of the School.

She appreciated the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, commandants of army institutions, commanders and other senior military officers for their support towards the establishment of the structures.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Yahaya commended the efforts of the past and present leadership of NAOWA for their foresightedness in supporting the educational development in the Nigerian army.

Yahaya also commended the officers wives for taking the lead in addressing the needs of their homes as well as supporting to meet the educational needs of their children.

He pledged to continue to support NAOWA in their quest to touch lives within and outside the barracks.

The President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Vickie Irabor, lauded the vision of the past presidents of NAOWA who established the schools that had become flagship in the military community.

Irabor said the women had continued to hold the home front fronts while their husbands were being deployed in various fronts to confront security challenges.

On her part, Mrs Bamayi thanked the NAOWA president for recognizing her contribution to the development of education in the Nigerian army.

She urged the association to sustain the vision of the founders and continue to build on the existing structures.

Mrs Ihejirika on her part commended the successive NAOWA leadership for sustaining and expanding the legacy of the past leaders.

She thanked Mrs Yahaya for acknowledging and remembering her for an honour to name the colleges staff quarter after her.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of various gift items like plasma LED television set to 19 teaching and non-teaching staff of the schools in recognition of their meritorious services over the years. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by AbdulFatai Beki/Ma

Source: NAN News