Retired security personnel, widows, and families of fallen officers in Rivers have received medical and welfare support through an outreach organised by the Horizon Humanity Care Foundation (HHC).
The programme featured free medical services, distribution of food and household items, as well as financial mentorship sessions aimed at supporting the beneficiaries.
Speaking at the event, the founder of HHC, Hajia Mariam Abdulraheem ANIPR, called for greater support for retired security personnel and families of officers who died in active service.
Abdulraheem urged government agencies, corporate organisations, religious bodies and individuals to support such families through healthcare, welfare and empowerment programmes.
She said the foundation was established to ensure that veterans, retirees and families of deceased security personnel were not forgotten after years of service to the country.
According to her, retirement should be viewed as a new phase of life in which former officers could retain their dignity, purpose and relevance in society.
Abdulraheem said her decision to establish the foundation was influenced by her experience as the daughter of a retiree and her appreciation of the sacrifices made by security personnel and their families.
She noted that many officers spent their productive years protecting lives and property but often faced neglect after retirement or the death of the family breadwinner.
She said the foundation’s mission, captured in the motto, “Honoring Service, Empowering Retirement,” was to support retirees while ensuring that widows and families of fallen heroes received attention and assistance.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Abdulraheem expressed appreciation for the retirees’ years of service and sacrifices, assuring them that their contributions remained valuable to society.
She also paid tribute to widows and children of fallen officers, saying the foundation would continue to advocate for their welfare and preserve the memories of their deceased loved ones.
The founder said supporting retired security personnel and families of fallen officers required collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, non-governmental organisations and members of the public.
She therefore called for partnerships, volunteer support and contributions towards programmes covering healthcare, welfare, retirement planning and economic empowerment.
Abdulraheem also disclosed that the foundation had submitted a proposal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, seeking support for the training of children of retirees and other youths in engineering-related fields within the oil and gas industry.
She said the proposal was presented through the former Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim, as part of efforts to create employment and skills-development opportunities for young Nigerians.
According to her, the minister responded positively to the proposal, which is aimed at equipping beneficiaries with technical and professional skills for opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
She said a follow-up meeting with relevant stakeholders was scheduled for the following week to discuss the implementation framework and areas of collaboration.
The co-founder of the foundation, Dr Engineer Abdurraheem Aduragba, said the initiative would not be limited to a one-off intervention.
He said the foundation was engaging corporate partners on long-term empowerment programmes aimed at improving the economic wellbeing of families of retired security personnel.
Earlier, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, described the outreach as timely, saying many retired security personnel who spent years protecting the country were often neglected after leaving active service.
Adepoju said retirees deserved continued support, particularly as some faced health and financial challenges after retirement.
He called on individuals, organisations and development partners to support initiatives for retired officers and families of fallen personnel through donations, medical assistance and other forms of humanitarian intervention.
The commissioner stressed that the welfare of retired officers, widows and families of fallen heroes should be treated as a collective responsibility.
Representing the wife of the Commissioner of Police and the leadership of the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), the association’s secretary, Barrister Elizabeth Ichemati, said the outreach was consistent with efforts to improve the health and economic wellbeing of police families.
She commended the foundation for partnering with POWA to support widows of deceased police officers and other vulnerable beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the organisers, describing the intervention as significant to their welfare.
Retired officers, including Zachary Amari, a representative of the wives of fallen officers, Mrs Josephine Okafor, and others who spoke at the event, commended the foundation for recognising the contributions of retired security personnel.
They urged government and other stakeholders to strengthen welfare and support systems for retirees across the country’s security services.
The organisers said the outreach was part of broader efforts to address healthcare, welfare and economic challenges affecting retired security personnel and families of fallen officers.
