The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, has stated that, contrary to widespread news, he did not appoint his first daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, as the state’s First Lady.
He revealed this information at the All Nations Christian Ministry International in Eket.
Several media outlets had reported that Gov. Eno informed Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, while on a condolence visit, that he appointed his daughter, Helen as Akwa Ibom’s First Lady following her mother’s death.
However, while speaking to the congregation on Sunday, the governor clarified his daughter’s appointment and stated that his decision was natural and not prompted by political reasons.
He insisted that First Ladies were not appointed, adding that after his wife died, it was appropriate and comforting for his daughter, who had been her mother’s closest confidant, to oversee and implement the office’s activities.
He noted that priority attention would be given to his late wife’s pet project, Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), as well as other support programmes for women, the elderly, the vulnerable, and the less privileged. He added that these activities could only be sustained with Mrs. Obareki as coordinator due to her experience, exposure, education, and access.
He said, “Appointing our daughter, who had worked closely with her late mother, as the coordinator is not an appointment as First Lady. You don’t appoint a First Lady. The Office of the First Lady has responsibilities to the women of this state, and my wife had programs she was running—the GIFA, the support for the elderly, and other programmes.
“As long as I remain governor, those programmes will not die. There must be a coordinator, and it must be someone I see on a daily basis, someone who can walk into my room and brief me, not a distant person.”
Gov Eno further explained that, by the appointment, his daughter would be addressed as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, stating that this decision was one way to bring healing to the family and comfort to himself.
While expressing gratitude to the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and her entourage, the governor also thanked the church for their words of comfort and encouraged them to find solace in the word of God.
