By ifeyinwa obi
CHAIRPERSON of Customs Officers Wives Association,COWA, Ogun State Command, Mrs. Betty Oteri, has disclosed that the association has empowered over 450 of its members in various skill acquisition programmes.

She also appealed to Customs officers to ensure that their wives participate in COWA activities, saying that COWA holds a lot of opportunities for women.

Oteri, who said this during the launching N200m appeal fund for the construction of skill acquisition centre in Abeokuta, disclosed that COWA has significant presence in all chapters in the zone.

According to her, “COWA represents the interest of customs officers wives, especially the wives of junior officers who are not financially empowered. We cater for their interest. When they are idle and have nothing to do, the idle mind is the devil’s workshop and we are working to prevent our members from being idle. What COWA does is to empower them, so as to enable them to survive and complement the efforts of their husbands, especially as it concerns the nature of the job.

“ Our husbands are always on transfer and the woman is left alone in the home front to manage the affairs of the family and it takes the grace of God to keep such women.”

She further noted that the national leadership of COWA has been involved in creating health awareness for women.

“What we are trying to do is to get these women together, teach them some kind of trader and get them meaningfully engaged, so that even when their husbands are away, they can handle the home front. COWA wants to use this medium to enlighten people. When we started Hajia Dikko was able to empower 450 women in the areas of bid making, computer training and other areas. As I am speaking to you COWA has been innuagrated in all the chapters in the zones of the federation, I can say the exact number but almost every woman that needs to be empowered has benefitted from COWA,” she added.

In addition, Oteri said, “What we do is to continue to appeal, we can not force them. That was why I said that we are here to put minds together and not to gossip. What we do is that during the parade days, we ask the Area Comptrollers to talk to the officers to allow their wives participate in COWA activities. We asked them to enumerate the benefits of allowing their wives to register and empowered. I hope that with time they will actually come around and see the benefits. This thing you are talking is a problem and it is affecting us. That is why I tell them that some of them are keeping their wives, who have hidden talents that needs to be nurtured is not the best.

Continuing she said, “Last year the CG’s wife put together a four-day seminar titled Making Your Home Work, She brought experts that spoke on breast and cervical cancer and other health challenges. We give opportunity to the women.”