Centre for Wounded Servicemen partners with GTI to boost rights advocacy for military families
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Centre for Wounded Servicemen and Fallen Heroes Support Fund (CFWS&FHSF) has entered a strategic partnership with Guard Time Information (GTI) to strengthen human rights advocacy and welfare support for wounded servicemen, retired personnel and the families of fallen heroes across Nigeria’s military and paramilitary formations.
Announcing the collaboration at the Centre’s headquarters in the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Complex, Abuja, Executive Secretary, Ezekiel Adi said the alliance will create “a stronger platform for defending the rights and welfare of military and paramilitary personnel and their families.”
He added that many deserving officers “have not fully benefited from the welfare packages and entitlements due to them over the years,” and described the joint framework as a means to coordinate more effective advocacy to address those gaps.
Bibi Oduku, Chairman of GTI, reaffirmed his organisation’s determination to pursue justice for those who serve.
“Officers who faithfully serve the nation deserve fair remuneration, timely payment of salaries and pensions, gratuities, healthcare, insurance benefits, and other statutory entitlements,” he said, promising that GTI “will vigorously pursue legitimate cases involving delayed pensions, unpaid gratuities, and other welfare-related issues.”
The partnership will also drive nationwide public enlightenment campaigns on non-violence, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and drug abuse and crime prevention, targeting military institutions, barracks and schools.
Special programmes will focus on educating children of service personnel about the dangers of drug abuse, cultism, cybercrime and internet fraud—trends both organisations warned pose “a serious threat to national security and sustainable development.”
Both CFWS&FHSF and GTI pledged to collaborate with government agencies, security institutions, civil society, religious bodies, educational institutions and development partners to amplify interventions that promote moral values, accountability and responsible citizenship.
Adi commended GTI’s work defending human rights and delivering humanitarian services, urging continued expansion of advocacy efforts.
Oduku, for his part, stressed the partnership’s enduring focus: “Every legitimate entitlement owed to military and paramilitary personnel should be honoured without unnecessary delay.”
The organisations called on government, corporate bodies, development partners and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative to improve the welfare of wounded servicemen, veterans and the families of Nigeria’s fallen heroes.
