By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), on Friday trained its members on the application of military protocols and emotional intelligence to their conduct as wives of serving officers.
The training was aimed at creating self awareness for them to be able to avoid breach of protocols and military ethics at functions and in all their activities.
The President of DEPOWA, Mrs Oghogho Musa, said in Abuja that the training was important for them to be more aware of themselves, be able to relate with one another and avoid disorderliness.
She said that the training protocol and ethics was to remind the women that the armed forces was about orderliness and protocol.
“If you know the order, if you know what to do, how to relate and whom to address at different times, it will help you more and you will know where you are meant to be at a particular time.
“You will not infringe on anybody’s right. You will not get people angry. Also, you will not get yourself into trouble,” she said.
Musa said that wives of officers often navigate unique challenges and responsibilities that require strength, resilience and compassion, hence the need for training on emotional intelligence.
She said the training was carefully planned to address a key factor necessary in achieving the assigned goals for the year.
According to her, emotional intelligence remains a vital aspect of personal and professional growth that impacts on well-being, relationships and interactions with others.
“Today’s training is designed to help us enhance our emotional awareness and refine the social skills necessary to build deeper and more meaningful connections with our loved ones, colleagues and the broader society.
“Emotional intelligence is a skill set that allows us to understand and manage our emotions as well as recognise and explain the emotions of others,” she said.
The DEPOWA President urged the leadership of all associations to ensure that the training was replicated in the various chapters.
The immediate past President of DEPOWA, Mrs Vickie Irabor, who delivered a lecture titled, “Protocol for Armed Forces Spouses and DEPOWA Members”, emphasised the need for understanding of protocol in the military.
Irabor said that the spouses of the military and police officers must be thoroughly abreast with the rule and regulations that guide their conducts, warning military wives against use of husbands’ staff cars.
She also warmed them to desist from the act of giving their hand bags to orderlies or using soldiers to do demeaning jobs like house chores. (NAN)
