KEY POINTS
- Governor Eno commissions his daughter as the Acting First Lady of Akwa Ibom.
- Remi Tinubu also supports Helen Eno Obareki to take up the mantle of her late mother to keep her legacies going.
- Governor Eno denies all reports of acquiring a second wife, saying that the memory of his late wife still lingers.
The wife of the president of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has applauded Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno for appointing his biological daughter, Mrs Helen Eno Obareki as the Acting first lady after the demise of his wife Pastor Patricia Umo Eno. Senator Tinubu also extend her condolences when she visits the Eno family in Uyo, sees it as a good idea because it is capable of sustaining the initialization that the late first lady has embarked on.
Continuing the torch: Pastor Patience Eno
Many of the wives of state governors, including Hajia Nana Shettima, who were with Senator Tinubu, also lauded Governor Eno’s decision as a practice obtained in other countries, and as an aid to Lady Pastor Patience to continue her work through her philanthropic NGO called the Golden Initiative for All, GIFA. She said “Politics is politics, we are all Nigerians and it’s better we come together and prove love and care, I will ever be there for you.”
Governor Umo Eno shared tender memories of his wife who died in a recent disappointment that they met when she was 19 and he was 22. He named her Oluwa-Kemi, which means a gift from God, and underlined that she remained both his cheerleader and his audience throughout their marriage. In discussions about her passing, he said cautiously: ‘Her death has been, in my view, the inestimable loss’. She was my biblical virtuous woman that every man would desire to have as his wife.
Helen Eno Obareki moves to assume First Lady duties
In presenting her daughter, Helen, Governor Eno said, “To preserve a continuation of the Office of the First Lady, and for me to continue the work of my dearly beloved wife, my beloved daughter will take up the mantle as the First Lady.”
He had faith in Helen to maintain her mother’s vision whilst undertaking her duty as she will work closely with Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Women’s Affairs.
Responding, Senator Tinubu also encouraged Helen and said: “Helen, your mom didn’t bring you to me for nothing. I believe God will lead you and, I know you will do a lot more than what your mother did.
According to Vanguard, Governor Eno also considered another issue about the ongoing gossips: his decision about taking another wife, and he joked that he had no intention of doing so during Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s visit. He said that no one can fill the position his wife left when she passed on; however, Helen will continue handling all the projects she started.
