The appointment of Mrs Helen Obareki as the First Lady’ of Akwa Ibom state following the death of her mother, Mrs Patience Umo Eno
has continued to stir controversy.
Mrs Obareki was appointed by Governor Umo Eno following the sudden death of his wife who was the coordinator of Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), a pet project which used as the platform to touch many lives.
While critics say the appointment should have been silent about the office of the First Lady and perhaps concentrated on the coordination of GIFA activities, others say by appointing his daughter as the First Lady and GIFA coordinator, the governor has given recognition to an office which has not been provided for in the country’s contitution.
Others say, the commissioner for women affairs should have been made to step into the shoes of the late First Lady as GIFA coordinator.
However, responding to the criticism, Governor Eno explained that the coordination of activities and engagements of women in the state rest solely on the shoulders of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
Speaking at the national combined service of the All Nations Christian Ministry International in Eket LGA, the Governor said that the responsibilities of the Ministry of Women Affairs were well spelt-out in relation to the management of women affairs, stressing that there shouldn’t be any form of conflict, ambiguity or confusion between its role and that of the Office of the First Lady and its pet project, the Golden Initiative For All, GIFA.
He said all the aides to the Governor on women mobilisation were expected to work with the Commissioner for Women Affairs to ensure seamless coordination of all women related matters in the State.
The Governor who reiterated that Mrs. Helen Obareki is the Coordinator of the Office of First Lady, and the Golden Initiative for All, added that GIFA, besides being a pet- project of the late First Lady, the programme would outlive the office, and remains a foundation in her memory, for the purpose of continuously touching lives.
He explained that the choice of Mrs. Obareki as Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady was basically on the grounds of competence having worked closely with her mother, the First Lady, as Personal Assistant, a position that gave her vantage opportunity to understudy her.
He said that besides being his first daughter, Mrs. Obareki’s experiences over the years distinguished her as the most competent person to coordinate the activities of the office.
He, therefore, appealed to women in the state to give the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Mrs. Obareki the necessary support.
Governor Eno Responds To Critics Of His Daughter Acting As First Lady is first published on The Whistler Newspaper