Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has said contrary to the news trending on social media, he did not appoint his first daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, as the First Lady of the state.
He made the clarification on Sunday while speaking at the All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket.
Many media outlets, not Theliberationnews reported that Governor Eno informed Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, that he made his first daughter Akwa Ibom’s First Lady following her mother’s death during a recent condolence visit to the governor.
However, while addressing the congregation on Sunday, the governor clarified that he only appointed his daughter as the Coordinator of her late mother’s office and not as the substantive First Lady.
He explained that first ladies are neither appointed nor elected adding that following the demise of his wife, it was not out of place for his daughter – who had been her mother’s closest assistant – to oversee and implement the programmes of the office.
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 programmes 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 daily, someone who can walk into my room and brief me, not a distant person.”
Governor 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.
