Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom State has criticized a media report suggesting that his eldest daughter, Helen Obareki, has been appointed as the First Lady of the state instead of his deceased wife, Patience Umo Eno who passed on 26 September 2024.
Speaking when hosting a condolence visit from the wife of President Tinubu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the governor said his daughter, as the special assistant to his late wife, was in the right position to coordinate the Office of the First Lady.
While at the All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket, also said on Sunday that his daughter will coordinate that office as a more fitting outcome than a product of political expediency.
The governor maintained that asking his daughter to coordinate the office would bring healing to the family, keep the office running, and serve as one of the ways he would find comfort.
He stressed that First Ladies were not appointed, adding that in the face of the sad situation of the demise of his wife, it was not only proper but also comforting and assuring for the daughter, who had been her closest assistant, to coordinate the lofty programmes of the office.
Eno said priority attention would be given to his wife’s pet project, “Golden Initiative For All,” and other support programmes for the women, elderly, vulnerable, and the less privileged, adding that the activities could only be sustained with Mrs Obareki as coordinator due to her experience, exposure, education and access.
“Please listen to me and listen well, First Ladies are not appointed, they come with the governor. I made a statement, and I would like to repeat that statement for the avoidance of doubt.
“Our daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, will coordinate the office of the First Lady. She had been with the mother from the beginning, and you heard the First Lady of the Nation, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, say ‘The mother introduced her to me’.
“So appointing her as the coordinator is not an appointment of a First Lady. You don’t appoint a First Lady.
“So, by appointment, she is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady. This is not political, it is natural.
“All I pray for is support and wisdom for her to be able to ensure that none of those programmes will die and that she will bring more insight and innovation to the office,” he said.
He said he decided to bring healing to the family and allow the smooth running of the office.
“The only reason I brought this up again is for clarification, that I am conscious of what I am doing, and it is to bring healing to the family and allow the office to keep running. That’s one of the ways I will be comforted,” the governor said.
Speaking further, Eno said, “Even when Jesus died, Peter said ‘Choose from amongst us those that were with Jesus’. So, for me, the Office of the First Lady has responsibilities to the women of this state, and my wife had programmes she was running: the GIFA, the support for the elderly and the other programmes, and as long as I remain governor, those programmes will not die.
“There must be a coordinator, and it must be someone that I see daily, someone that can walk into my room and brief me, not a distant person.”
He reaffirmed his gratitude to Mrs Tinubu and her entourage of some of Nigeria’s renowned women for their visit which he described as timely.
He also thanked her for acknowledging the appointment of Obareki to run the late mother’s office as apt.
The governor appreciated the church for the consolation messages and charged them to be consoled in the word of God.
