FRIDAY February 21, 2025 | TheNewsDESK
Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has lauded the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, his daughter, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, for furthering the vision and aspirations of his departed wife, Pastor Patience Eno, through the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA).
Governor Eno made the commendation while speaking at the first anniversary celebration of GIFA, at Ibom Hall, Uyo, where he expressed delight with the ingenuity of Lady Obareki, in driving her mother’s dream of enhancing family life, and bringing succour to the less-privileged to reality, despite the demise of its founder and progenitor.
According to the Governor, the event also created opportunity to honour her memory, and celebrate the first posthumous birthday, of the departed First Lady whose 57th birthday marked the launch of GIFA.
“Let me congratulate my dear daughter, the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Noble Lady Helen Obareki for stepping up and taking charge of this great Initiative.
“As you have so eloquently reeled out the achievements recorded in the last one year, it is evident that you have ticked the boxes in all the thematic areas and the impact has been deeply felt. Noble Lady, you have done well, and your mother and indeed all of us here are manifestly proud of you,” he said.
Recalling his wife’s humane disposition as a mother hen, who takes care of the needs of others even at the expense of her comfort, the Governor assured that his administration will continue to further her beliefs through inclusion of women in all facets of his administration’s goals, and also, through programmes like the ARISE Elderly Care Initiative, ARISE Compassionate Homes, as well as intervention on issues of maternal care and gender-based violence.
He also recalled her persistent appeals for 40 percent of women inclusion in the affairs of government, adding that most of the women who have been appointed to public offices are credits to the intervention of the late First Lady.
Governor Eno thanked the management of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, for naming their latest antenatal building after the departed First Lady, in recognition of the great affection she had for maternal care.
He also appreciated the immediate past Chairman of Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, Arc. Iniobong Orok, who had earlier named an ICT Centre after her, adding that his administration is also building a Mother and Child Hospital along the medical corridor, to cater for healthcare needs of pregnant mothers and children.
The event which featured the cutting of the anniversary cake, climaxed with the foundation laying ceremony of the building of an ultra- nodern GIFA Secretariat in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo.
In her address at the event, Chairman of GIFA’s Board of Trustees and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Mrs Helen Eno Oberaki, appreciated the Governor’s support for the initiative and accorded him the honour of “Pillar of GIFA” which, she said, embodied her departed mother’s vision and passion for uplifting the lives of women, children, elderly and the vulnerable people in society.
She enumerated the strides of GIFA in the past one year to include: school supplies for over 15,000 pupils, free healthcare for women in rural communities, economic empowerment of over 5000 women, and affirmed that the impact of the initiative has been felt tremendously across the various fabrics of the State.
She,therefore, pledged her commitment as the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady to building on the legacies of the departed First Lady by continually enhancing the quality of life of vulnerable individuals and families, supporting multiple birth children, engaging zero earners with skills, empowering more women through the Eka Iberedem Hub, amongst others, and solicited the support of individuals, organizations and governments to further the cause of the initiative.
“In retrospect, GIFA has recorded significant strides in just one year. One of the many GIFA projects is in Mbiabong Ikot Udo, a rural community in Ini Local Government Area where we built and handed over a cassava and oil processing factory to a middle-aged father of six, Mr. Benjamin Asuquo Umoren. Months later, we also identified a cluster of women who patronise that mill and women from other Senatorial Districts involved in palm oil production and related businesses and had since connected them to the Eka Iberedem Hub – a full cycle programme that helps women identify what their hands can produce and market them.
“Going forward, at GIFA, our aim is to ensure that the global development framework, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), make more meaning to the most vulnerable families in our State. It is on this note that I solicit your partnership and support in ensuring that we meet the target that we have before us.
The United Nations Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs. Beatrice Eyong, in her keynote address, paid tribute to the visioner and founder of GIFA, the late Pastor Patience Eno, and commended the Coordinator of the office of the First Lady, Mrs. Helen Obareki, for holding forth the vision to sustain the legacy of her late mother.
Establishing a correlation between GIFA and her organization, Mrs. Eyong said GIFA in its eight thematic aspirations which leaves no one behind, aligns with the vision of the UN Women Office which was created to support member states in mitigating gender-based discrimination and its attendant consequences, as well as expanding opportunities for women.
She assured of UN’s support for GIFA as a step towards making the market more accessible for women.
Commended Governor Eno for his remarkable inclusion of women in his administration, Mrs. Eyong decorated the Governor with one of UN Women’s highest honour, the United Nations “He-for-She Ambassador,” in recognition of his strong role in promoting women inclusion in governance and championing pro-women policies.
In their various goodwill messages, the Director- General, Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme, Dr. Andy Eyo; immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor; Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Justice Ekaette Fabian Obot; Member representing Ukanafun-Oruk Anam Federal Constituency, Hon. Unyime Idem, and the President- General of Akwa Ibom Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk, all expressed their delight for the strides of GIFA and pledged various levels of support towards its sustenance.
