•Governor Umo Eno
… honours departed First Lady at 2nd memorial service
ANTHONY UDOH, Uyo reporting
Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has vowed to always respect his predecessors, especially Deacon Udom Emmanuel, as well as other leaders in the state.
Speaking at the second memorial service in honour of his departed wife and First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor (Mrs.) Patience Eno, held at All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket, the governor said his upbringing and orientation of respect will eternally live in him.
The governor said his response to the request by the Paramount Ruler of ONNA Local Government Area to intervene in some industries in the area which have folded up, during the commissioning of 14Km road, had nothing to do with his predecessor, but their owners.
He explained that the word “Unadot,” used in his response is a simple Ibibio word meaning “people”. He said it was not a derogatory term and warned mischief makers to desist from attempting to cause a rift between him, his administration and any past leader.
“I want to make a clarification. We went to ONNA the other day to commission a project, and we went to do that project in honour of my boss. For me, I believed it was something to be thankful for — to inherit a project started by my boss and finishing it.
“The Paramount Ruler asked me to partner and work on the syringe factory and the flour mill. Since he spoke in Ibibio, I responded in Ibibio and said, ‘Unadod Iyemme, Iboho fien ke mkpo ado, afo aben idem mfo akesin,’ that if they have a problem, let them tell us through the Commissioner for Special Duties, who is an indigene there,” he said.
Speaking further, he said, “Two things: before I made that statement, I had already said government had no hand in those factories, so you cannot just be jumping into people’s businesses when they have not invited you.
“I never ever, standing on this altar of God where I have preached for over 20 years, mentioned or had Udom Emmanuel in mind. It didn’t even connect to him because he is not a shareholder in that business.
“In Efik Hymn Book, Hymn No. 246, the last stanza of that hymn has ‘unadod’, and if this was derogatory, I don’t know how it would have found itself into the song book. It is an Ibibio word that means ‘the people.’ I was simply referring to the people who own the businesses.
“Let me say this for the last time: I will never have a problem with my predecessor. I have shown, both privately and publicly, the respect I have for Deacon Udom Emmanuel,” he added.
In his tribute to the departed wife, he said though no longer physically present, the evidence of her life will abound forever.
According to him, “There are some people whose lives cannot be adequately measured by the number of years they have spent with us. Their presence becomes woven into the fabric of our families. Their words become part of our memories; and their works become a legacy that continues to speak long after they have departed. My beloved wife, Kemi, and mother of our children was such a woman.”
He recalled that for forty years of their marriage, their union was that of deep-rooted companion, friendship, love, confidante and strength in the journey of family and faith.
“We shared joys and sorrows; triumphs and trials; laughter and tears. Through it all, she remained a remarkable woman whose influence, compassion, love, and sacrifice reached far beyond our home,” he added.
The governor commended his daughter, Lady Helen Eno-Obareki, for her impressive book about her mother, describing the work as “more than a collection of memories and lessons”.
“It is a record of love of a woman whose greatest investment was not in possession or achievement but in people, especially our children and family.”
In her remarks, the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Noble Lady Helen Eno-Obareki described her departed mother as a phenomenal heroine whose existence was a blessing to humanity.
In their separate tributes, the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakeneyi, Apostle Lawrence Achudume, Rehoboth Eno, grandchildren and others recalled their fun memories with her, and prayed God to rest her soul.
In an exhortation, Apostle Samuel Effiong, Senior Pastor of GloryWorld International Gospel Centre, charged the congregation to live purposeful lives that would leave lasting memories and positively impact others.
Taking his text from Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the just is blessed,” he described life as a journey with a beginning and an end, stressing that death should not be the defining measure of a person’s existence, but rather the choices made and the lives touched while on earth.
The clergy while citing Acts 9:36, Mark 16:20 and Matthew 5:16, encouraged Christians to preserve the memory of the departed by living lives that honour her legacy, maintaining that every true child of God leaves behind a legacy capable of speaking to generations yet unborn.
The solemn service featured sessions of special ministrations, and the unveiling of the book “The Patience to Build: Lessons from my Mother,” written by Lady Eno-Obareki.
