… Reaffirms Commitment To Maternal, Child Healthcare
UYO
Thousands of pregnant women and children, aged 0-5 years have benefited from the “Wheels of Hope” medical outreach of the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) in Uyo, Onna and Ika, during which GIFA reaffirmed its commitment to maternal and child healthcare, with a view to reducing preventable maternal and infant deaths in rural communities.
The outreach, which brought together a team of medical professionals and volunteers, who provided healthcare services and dispensed medications where applicable, to women and children from all the wards in the council areas, was part of activities marking GIFA’s second anniversary.
Addressing beneficiaries of the outreach, Tuesday, at Ikot Ebido Primary Health Centre in Uyo Local Government Area, the coordinator, Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Patience Umo Eno’s Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, described the programme as a practical expression of GIFA’s commitment to its Fight Against Diseases thematic area.
Lady Obareki said taking the medical services to rural communities and ensuring the wellbeing of vulnerable persons was a reflection of the compassionate leadership of Governor Umo Eno, whose ARISE Agenda prioritises access to healthcare through the revitalisation of Primary Healthcare Centres across the state.
“Everything we do here today is a reflection of the heart of His Excellency, the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, Ph.D. Through the ARISE Agenda, he is building a state where healthcare is decentralised and accessible. We see this in our revitalised primary healthcare centres across the state, the Governor’s vision is simple: that no Akwa Ibom person is left behind in pain. We are the hands and feet of that vision, ensuring that this “hand of fellowship” reaches the farthest corners of our state.”
Represented by the president of Eket Senatorial District Women Forum, Dr Idara Akpan, she highlighted GIFA’s second anniversary celebration on February 20, 2026, stressing that the true measure of the initiative’s success lies not in years but in the lives touched and illnesses prevented.
Obareki said, “As we look forward to the 2nd Anniversary of the Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All, GIFA on February 20th, I am moved by how far we have come. Two years ago, GIFA was a vision; today, it is a movement of hope, and we’re even more committed to preserving this legacy. This medical outreach is a precursor to that celebration, a reminder that our greatest milestone is not in the years we have spent, but in the lives we have touched and the diseases we have helped conquer”.
She urged community members to fully utilise the services provided, engage with healthcare professionals, adhere to medical advice, and embrace health education as a pathway to a stronger and more productive society.
In addition, she lent her voice to ongoing advocacies ahead of the commemoration of the 2026 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, stating that FGM is not a cultural obligation but a gross violation of human rights with long-lasting physical, emotional, and psychological consequences.
In her welcome remarks, the wife of the chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Mrs Akaniyene Udo, commended Lady Obareki for organising the medical outreach and mobilising healthcare workers to care for pregnant women and children in a facility that was inaugurated by the progenitor of GIFA, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.
GIFA team lead, Pastor Anne Abraham, stated that the Wheels of Hope Programme, which is providing mobile clinics for the benefit of pregnant women and children from zero to five years across the three senatorial districts, targeted at improved access to healthcare services, thereby ensuring that no woman or child is left behind.
Wife of the member representing Uyo State Constituency in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs Idongesit Asuquo; coordinator of the ARISE Initiative for the Elderly, Mrs Mercy Eka and the village head of Ikot Ebido Oku, Eteidung Ini Ekong, in their goodwill messages, praised GIFA for its life-touching programmes and expressed hope that the initiative would continue to positively impact families beyond its second anniversary celebration.
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026 when the Wheels of Hope berthed in Onna Local Government Area Council Hall at Abat, the coordinator, Office of the First Lady and chairman, Board of Trustees of GIFA, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, described the programme as a legacy of compassion inspired by her late mother Pastor Patience Umo Eno, who believed that no woman should die while giving birth and no child should be denied a healthy start in life because of geography or circumstance.
“I stand here today with a sense of duty and deep emotion for the ‘Wheels of Hope’ Maternal and Child Medical Outreach, a programme birthed out of a mother’s heartbeat – the heartbeat of my mother, Her Excellency, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, who believed that no woman should lose her life while bringing forth new life, and that no child should be denied a healthy start because of where they were born,” she said.
Represented by the chairman of Esit Eket Local Government Council, Hon Uduak Ikott, she noted that the Onna outreach came at a symbolic moment, ahead of the posthumous birthday of Pastor Patience Umo Eno and the second anniversary of GIFA, assured that the “Wheels of Hope” will continue to complement Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda to take essential medical services directly to women and children in grassroots communities.
Lady Obareki assured everyone that these wheels – specifically designed for pregnant women and little children under the age of five, covering the first 1,000 days and the most critical stage of human development, will keep turning until hope reaches more households, and no one is left behind.
The wife of the chairman, Onna Local Government Council, Mrs Abasiama Umoren, commended the present administration for placing health, compassion, and human dignity at the centre of governance, and specifically appreciated the State governor, Pastor Umo Eno and Lady Helen Obareki, for their unwavering dedication to the well-being of women across Akwa Ibom.
GIFA’s team lead, Pastor Anne Abraham, explained that the outreach was necessitated by the need to take quality healthcare directly to the grassroots, disclosing that the outreach in Onna has benefited over 500 pregnant women and 300 children aged 0–5 years.
Goodwill messages were presented by the wife of the commissioner for finance, Mrs Iniobong Bob; special assistant to the governor on Women Mobilisation, Rev. Rose Wills; vice chairman of Onna Local Government Council, Lady Mfon Jeremiah; and wife of the paramount ruler of Onna, Obonganwan Nwaowo Raymond Inyang, who all appreciated Governor Eno for his health reforms and Lady Helen Obareki for sustaining the vision of Pastor Patience Umo Eno, and urged expectant mothers to adopt healthy living practices and register early for antenatal care.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Enobong Peter expressed gratitude to the state government and the Office of the First Lady for the life-impacting intervention, describing the outreach as timely and a huge relief to women who could not easily access medical services.
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the current phase of GIFA’s “Wheels of Hope” Medical Outreach was concluded in Ika Local Government Area, the coordinator, Office of the First Lady and chairman, GIFA Board of Trustees, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, described the programme as honouring the legacies of the organisation’s founder, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, whose posthumous birthday coincides with the anniversary celebration.
Represented by the wife of the deputy speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs Enobong Edidem, she said the outreach, which earlier took the medical team to Uyo and Onna Local Government Areas, was deliberately designed to take quality healthcare to communities where distance and accessibility often hindered access to medical services, particularly for mothers and children, and to secure the future of the next generation.
Lady Obareki commended Governor Umo Eno for prioritising grassroots healthcare under his ARISE Agenda, while also appreciating the leadership of the Ika Local Government Council and the medical personnel for their support throughout the outreach.
She assured residents that while the Wheels of Hope programme would be transitioning into another phase, beneficiaries should continue to visit Primary Healthcare Centres, practice hygiene and nutrition lessons learnt during the programme, emphasising that health is a continuous journey.
The wife of Ika Local Government chairman, Mrs Idongesit Nwoko, who described the intervention as a testament to the inclusive and people-centred approach of governance, lauded GIFA for its effort in the fight against diseases, as well as its commitment to promoting maternal and child healthcare.
Also, Ika Local Government chairman, Barr. Utibe Nwoko, expressed appreciation to Governor Eno and GIFA for the humanitarian gesture and their demonstration of love for Ika people through sustained health interventions, infrastructural development, and the ongoing agricultural revolution, assuring that the people of Ika would reciprocate the gesture with their overwhelming support and votes come 2027.
GIFA’s team lead, Pastor Anne Abraham, described the outreach as a true reflection of service, compassion and purposeful leadership, appreciating Governor Eno for his unwavering support and for placing the well-being of women, children and the elderly at the centre of governance.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the vice chairman of Ika Local Government Council, Hon Emaedu Inyang; wife of a former attorney-general of Akwa Ibom, Mrs Christiana Nwoko; clan head of Achan Clan, Obong Jonathan Ette and the chairman of Ika Elders Council, Catechist Biatus Udofia, who all appreciated the choice of Ika among the 10 local government areas in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for the outreach, and pledged their total support for the Umo Eno administration.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Peace Abraham, expressed gratitude to the Akwa Ibom State Government and GIFA for the timely medical assistance, describing it as a life-saving intervention that has brought hope and relief to many families in the area.
In support of the outreach, a member of the GIFA team and an indigene of Ika, Mrs Ofonime Johnson, provided hundreds of water bottles for distribution to the children.
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