Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has denied reports that his first daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, has been appointed First Lady of the state.
He clarified that his daughter has been appointed as the Coordinator of the First Lady’s Office, as he told Senator Oluremi Tinubu during her condolence visit.
Speaking on Sunday at the All Nations Christian Ministry International in Eket, the governor said that his decision was natural and not prompted by political concerns.
He maintained that first ladies are not selected; nonetheless, after his wife’s death, it was fitting and soothing for his daughter, her mother’s closest assistant to oversee and implement the office’s initiatives.
He stated that his late wife’s pet project, Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), would be prioritised, as well as other support programs for women, the aged, the vulnerable, and the underprivileged.
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He went on to say that these activities could only be sustained with Mrs. Obareki as coordinator because of her experience, exposure, education, and access.
His words: “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 programs.
“As long as I remain governor, those programs 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.”
Governor Eno went on to say that his daughter will be addressed as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, and that this decision was one method for him to offer healing to the family while also comforting himself.
While thanking the President’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and her entourage, the governor also praised the church for their comforting words and advised them to seek peace in God’s word.
