Akwa Ibom Gov Daughter, Helen, Pledges To Sustain Late Mother’s Legacy

Sunday February 22, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Golden Initiative For All, Lady Helen Obareki, has pledged to build on and sustain the legacy of her late mother, the wife of the governor, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.

Pastor Patience Umo Eno, the founder of GIFA, died on September 26, 2024, after a brief illness, paving the way for her daughter to assume leadership of the pet project.

Speaking during the second anniversary celebration of GIFA held at Ibom Hall, Uyo, on Friday, Obareki said she was determined, by the grace of God, not to let down her parents and the people of Akwa Ibom State.

“As Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of GIFA, my responsibility has been to build upon and sustain the legacy of our dear mother, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.

“I bear this responsibility with resolve and determination because I am inspired by the grace of God and the tenacity not to let down my parents and the good people of Akwa Ibom State,” she said.

Obareki disclosed that over 53,987 lives had been impacted in the last two years across eight thematic areas, including maternal and child healthcare, literacy and learning enhancement, environmental health improvement, women empowerment, disease prevention, elderly care, disability support, and Gender-Based Violence prevention and response.

“I will not bore you with the detailed scorecard of our achievements. However, I can confidently state that we have recorded remarkable strides in all eight thematic areas of the programme.

“To put it briefly, a total of 53,987 lives have been touched and impacted by GIFA across Akwa Ibom State in the last two years,” she added.

She further disclosed that GIFA had begun moves to fulfil the founder’s vision by extending its reach to the remaining 18 local government areas to ensure that all 31 LGAs have access to clean, potable water.