NewStats: 3,264,891 , 8,185,019 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 05:52 PM 465q2c

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has faulted a media report (not The PUNCH) suggesting that his first daughter, Mrs Helen Obareki, has been appointed as the First Lady of the state.

The PUNCH reports that Mrs Patience Umo Eno, wife of the governor, died at a hospital on September 26, 2024, surrounded by family .

During a condolence visit by the Wife of the President, Mrs 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.

Speaking at the All Nations Christian Ministry Intl, Eket, on Sunday, the governor described the move for his daughter coordinating the office as a gesture that came more out of a natural outcome, than a product of political expediency.

He stated that asking her 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 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 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 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.

https://punchng.com/why-my-daughter-will-coordinate-first-ladys-office-eno/

No government official is thinking of cutting budget. No matter how biting the economy

budaatum:
Good for him and his daughter.

They both should accept my condolence for their loss and my .

One of the most useless dramatic puppet governor in Nigeria.

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Good for the family

Coordinating an unconstitutional office. That office is a money making machine. He searching for a woman who will cooperate with him in syphoning the state funds.

Well, most First Lady initiatives are to work with school feeding programs and the less privileged and also served as a medium to siphon funds, since her office is already existing with some programs before her demise, someone competent enough should continue to drive it.

They should make that office legal to mainly focus on child rape and abuse so that states can handle those cases with their First Ladies than touring all over the place and wasting government funds on jeweries, they should have some well defined responsibility because they will waste our resources even if we like or not.

Wicked people

Huh

Rubbish

As if the office of the first lady is constitutional

Nigerian leaders are great when it comes to spending and ostentation but poor when it comes to governance

What would have happened if he didn't have a daughter or wife?

Nigerian leaders continue to push Nigerians to the brink everyday

Again, rubbish!

You don't need to explain. First lady is a family thing.
Better than in Osun state where two wives keep dragging on who is the first lady.

It's not an official position so anyone could occupy it. Akeredolu son serves as commissioner of finance and chief of staff while his wife served as governor and deputy governor.

Good for the family, May God Almighty comfort the family and May her soul rest in peace.

It's family office, let her chop her own share of the Akwa-ibom money🤗

I see no problem with your decision

So for your mind now, you made sense abi? If the office of the first lady isn't a political appointment why the rush to appoint a successor? Why not wait till you remarry or at least wait for the mourning period to end? That's if you are mourning at all

Megabig:
Well, most First Lady initiatives are to work with school feeding programs and the less privileged and also served as a medium to siphon funds, since her office is already existing with some programs before her demise, someone competent enough should continue to drive it.

They should make that office legal to mainly focus on child rape and abuse so that states can handle those cases with their First Ladies than touring all over the place and wasting government funds on jeweries, they should have some well defined responsibility because they will waste our resources even if we like or not.

Wicked people

Who will make the office legal?

All these functions you mentioned, are they not the functions of already existing ministries and agencies?

Conflict of interest in an unconstitutional office. Nigerian politicians are genius in the field of criminal corruption

Chai!

And the looting continues by the family and for the family of the pastor governor.

Man of god indeed!

So d post of 1st lady is in d constitution now 🥱

At first didn't like the idea. But the truth is that if her daughter worked closely with her, she may want to fulfill all (projects and ) her mother started.

So personally is ok. Let's not be quick to judge

One Love

Emergency lovers of Nigeria, where are y'all?

What happens to the wife of the deputy governor?
Can't she hold brief of the unconstitutional office of the first lady?

kingthreat:
You don't need to explain. First lady is a family thing.
Better than in Osun state where two wives keep dragging on who is the first lady.

One of them got married first or who the governor choose...

His reason for justifying it is because he knows it isn't sensible.

Chai sir the ist lady office must be giving to the poor u must not remarry a rich person

Wonder who is bringing this to FP.
Is the Office of the first lady constitutional

Darlingjay1:

https://punchng.com/why-my-daughter-will-coordinate-first-ladys-office-eno/

Because he's using the office to launder & steal money

shadrach77:
So for your mind now, you made sense abi? If the office of the first lady isn't a political appointment why the rush to appoint a successor? Why not wait till you remarry or at least wait for the mourning period to end? That's if you are mourning at all

una sef if he rush remarry na sam u go run come say na him kill him wife

The rich also cry

No need for explanation. In Nigeria impunity is ....