Akwa Ibom First Lady Fetes 250 Women, 11 NGOs

Wife of Akwa Ibom State governor Patience Umo Eno has empowered select widows across the 31 local government areas of the state and members of 11 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as the state marked the World Widows Day yesterday.

The maiden Widows Enhancement Programme (WEP), organised through the first lady’s pet project, Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), was held at the Banquet Hall, Government House Uyo. No fewer than 250 widows smiled home with cash and gift items.

Pastor Patience Eno, who thanked her husband, the governor, for making it possible for every woman to have a sense of belonging, said the event became expedient to “raise awareness over the violation of human rights that widows suffer following the death of their spouses.”

The first lady, who also chairs the state Gender-Based Violence Management Committee (GBVMC), frowned at the existence of various harmful widowhood practices.

She noted that with the domestication of the 2013 widowhood law and the 2020 Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law in the state, the full weight of the law would apply to anyone troubling widows with outdated traditional practices.

She reaffirmed that any case of injustice against widows brought to her attention would be handled promptly. She directed the different NGOs for widows in the state who attended the event to create clusters for the training of their members on entrepreneurial skills to ensure their economic growth and development.

Welcoming the women, one of the coordinators of GIFA, Mrs Anne Abraham who lauded them for remaining strong and resilient despite the significant loss suffered, noted that the programme which falls under the Women empowerment thematic area of GIFA, was to harness a support environment where the widows are recognised by the state government.

Also, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr. Ini Adiakpan applauded the governor and his wife for giving succour, comfort and a sense of belonging to the widows.

The director of the Akwa Ibom State Multi-Door Courthouse, Magistrate Helen Umana, and the FIDA chairperson, Barrister Iquo Abia, took turns enlightening the widows on the laws protecting them against harmful widowhood practices in the state while encouraging them to speak up and report to appropriate authorities whenever such negative cultural issues arise in their communities.

They commended the governor’s wife for the motherly show of love and pledged their continuous support in the fight against harmful widow’s practices in the state.

In a brief exhortation on the theme “A Wise Widow”, Bishop Enobong Essien encouraged the widows not to be overwhelmed by their present circumstances but to brace up and forge ahead, assuring them of God’s ever-abiding presence and help.

On behalf of the beneficiaries, Madam Alice Uwah, the widows thanked the governor’s wife for selecting them for the programme, saying this development has given them a sense of belonging.