A’Ibom NAWOJ Seeks Support For Widow Displaced By Late Husband’s Siblings

By Edidiong Obot
UYO
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has appealled to the State government, corporate bodies, and well-meaning individuals to come to the aide of a widow, Mrs. Comfort Okon Ekpenyong of Nung Nsoh Akpan in Nsukara Offot, Uyo Local Government Area, who was displaced by her late husband’s family.
  The State chairperson of NAWOJ, Comrade Nsikak Okon, stated this, recently, when she paid a visit to the widow, accompanied by her executive members.
The visit followed information received during the June meeting of the Association about the plight of the widow who was sent away by her late husband’s siblings, who also allegedly denied her access to any of her late husband’s property, pushing her to live in an open shed with her children.
Armed with the information and out of concern about the plight of the widow, the State chairperson of NAWOJ paid her a visit to find out the true position of things, with a view to securing
the remaining land and provide her with decent shelter to ease her suffering and that of her children.
  According to the widow, while she was still at Anton Clinic, Obio Imo Street, Uyo, after delivering her third daughter, her husband’s siblings allegedly sold eight plots of land belonging to her late husband, under false claims that the money was needed to pay her hospital bills.
“They lied to buyers that they needed the money to pay my bills. But the doctor never asked me for a kobo. He and his wife provided for my baby and me,” she said tearfully.
She further revealed that after the land was sold, her husband’s siblings used the proceeds for themselves, sent her and her children away, because they are girls, leaving them with nothing.
Having nowhere to turn to, she said she built a mud house in 2015, and started fufu business to be able to cater for her children, but the thatch house was unfortunately destroyed by a heavy downpour in 2021, adding that since then, she has been living in an open shed during the day and sleeps at night in an uncompleted building in the village.
The village head of Nsukara Offot, Etteidung Eyo Asukwo Esen, who joined NAWOJ, after paying him homage, to visit the widow in the open shed where she lives with her children,  condemned the attitude of the widow’s in-laws towards her and her children.
Etteidung Esen maintained that both male and female children have equal rights of inheritance of their fathers’ property, under the law.
He said he was not aware of the widow’s plight and asked the widow to officially report to the village authority.
Neighbours, visibly moved by her plight, called for urgent intervention.
One of the residents in the community, Mr. Clement Akpan, said, “If anyone needs help, it is this woman”.
Another neighbour, Mrs. Mabel Michael Nyah, praised the widow’s resilience in raising her girl children through proceeds from her fufu business despite her deplorable living condition.