You Can’t Appoint a ‘First Lady,’ Gov Eno Explains Daughter’s Role After Wife’s Death

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has  said that no one can appoint a first lady.

Governor Eno made the clarification while disputing media reports that he had appointed his daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki as the first lady of the state following the unfortunate death the first lady of the state, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.

Last week during a condolence visit by Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Governor Eno had announced that Mrs. Obareki who had been serving as a a Special Assistant to his late wife, would henceforth coordinate the Office of the First Lady haven been with the wife from gthe foundation of her pet project till she died.

FACTSHEET reported that the late first lady died in a hospital after battling an undisclosed illness.

However, during a church service at the All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket, on Sunday, Governor reiterated that appointing his daughter the coordinator of the first lady’s office was just a natural outcome and not a political move.

The Governor said that appointing the daughter a coordinator will allow her pay priority attention to his late 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.

He said:

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”