BY -Tinuade Mary
Claim:
Some platforms reported that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, who just lost his wife, has appointed his daughter as the First Lady of the State.
Verdict:
Misleading! The governor announced his daughter will coordinate the activities and programs of his late wife’s NGO, implemented through her office.
Full Text:
A few days ago, several news outlets released a claim that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Eno, appointed his daughter, Helen, as the First Lady of the State upon the demise of his wife. This news received mixed reactions from active citizens of the State and the Country.
According to Punch Newspaper, the Governor made the announcement during a condolence visit by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and other dignitaries in Uyo, quoting the Governor as saying: “To maintain the office of the First Lady and carry forward my late wife’s work, I present our daughter, Helen, to continue the duties of the office. She will work closely with the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Social Welfare.”
Verification
However, on October 5, 2024, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made a tweet on his X page to debunk the trending news, saying: “The media reports that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, who just lost his wife, appointed his daughter as the Acting First Lady or First Lady, are mischievous. He only told the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, that his daughter will coordinate the activities and programs of his late wife’s NGO, implemented through her office.”
Also, in a report by PUNCH, the governor was quoted as: “Please listen to me and listen well, First Ladies are not appointed, they come with the Governor. I made a statement, and I would like to repeat that statement for the avoidance of doubt.’’
“Our daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki will coordinate the office of the First Lady. She had been with the mother from the beginning, and you heard the First Lady of the Nation, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu say “The mother introduced her to me”. So appointing her as the Coordinator is not an appointment of a First Lady. You don’t appoint a First Lady.
“So, by appointment, she is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady. This is not political, it is natural. All I pray for is support and wisdom for her to be able to ensure that none of those programmes will die and that she will bring more insight and innovation to the Office.
“The only reason why I brought this up again is for the purpose of clarification that I am conscious of what I am doing, and it is to bring healing to the family and allow the Office to keep running. That’s one of the ways I will be comforted,” the Governor said.
Conclusion:
The reports that the governor appointed their daughter as the First Lady of the state are Misleading, as she was only meant to coordinate the activities and programs of his late wife’s NGO, implemented through her office, as opposed the reports of the appointment of a First Lady.
