The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor has expressed the willingness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to support and collaborate with the leadership of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) towards executing humanitarian programmes that would be beneficial to families of military personnel.
Some of the projects are the establishment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) centre for military personnel and families, as well as a Diagnostic centre in honour of Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh, who diagnosed the first Ebola case in Nigeria.
According a statement by Acting Director Defence Information, Brig.-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu on Wednesday, the CDS made the pledge while playing host to DEPOWA president, Barr. (Mrs) Vickie Irabor ,who paid a courtesy call on the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja.
Speaking during the visit, Gen Irabor recounted the traumatic experiences faced by troops in the operational theatres and commended the DEPOWA leadership for initiating the proposed PTSD project which he said would significantly shore up the fighting spirit and psychological well-being of personnel of the AFN.
The CDS who lamented that both troops and their families undergo emotional trauma in the task of defending and protecting the nation against adversaries further assured that the DHQ will support all feasible DEPOWA’s projects that are tailored towards helping humanity.
Earlier in her remarks, Barr Vickie Irabor said that DEPOWA has evolved to become an organization focused on providing support to Wives of personnel and their families towards achieving a healthy military community.
The DEPOWA President stated further that in line with her program tagged “Uniting Our Voices First” (UOVF), the Association is seeking the collaboration of the AFN to provide solutions to address the root causes of PTSD faced by personnel.
She said the proposed PTSD evaluation and rehabilitation centre would “Evaluate, counsel and provide adequate support to personnel and their spouses prior to reintegration at the end of their operational tour of duty from the various theatres of operations.”
She emphasized that the objective is to ensure that military personnel return to their families in a psychologically and physically stable state.
Mrs Irabor explained that many military personnel had suffered physical injuries, as well as suppressed emotional trauma accumulated from experiences in the theatres of operation.
