By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has condoled the Akwa Ibom governor, Pastor Umo Eno, his family and the entire people of the State on the demise of the First Lady, Late Pastor Patience Umo Eno, as they embarked on a condolence visit to one of their colleagues.
The Forum, which visited Eno and the family on Monday, at the Governor’s Lodge, Government House, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, led by its chairman and governor of Kwara State, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, described the late First Lady as a household name in humanity and that the feeling of having to lose her is devastating to both members of the Forum and its secretarial staff.
Abdulrasaq noted that if the forum and its secretariat staff are so deeply touched by her death, how much more of such will be the feeling of Governor Eno who both happened to share a life together from youth until her demise.
He said it was the wish of the Forum that God will grant the governor the fortitude to bear the loss and their daughter, Mrs. Helen Obareki, the enablement to pilot the affairs of the office and initiatives of the departed First Lady.
The Edo State governor and chairman, South South Governors’ Forum, Mr Godwin Obaseki, in his remarks, expressed doubt if the deceased First Lady will be easily forgotten owing to the kind disposition and positive energy she exhibited, but urged Governor Eno to be consoled with the values she represented and what she stood for, in her life time.
Obaseki conveyed the condolence from the governors of sister states in the South South zone to Governor Eno.
The State governor, Eno, expressed gratitude over the soothing gesture of his fellow governors and other kind-hearted Nigerians towards him as he grieves the demise of his wife, Patience.
Eno, while reflecting on the sacrifices made by the governors to travel all the way from their various states to condole with him and the family, as well as messages, calls and visit from the President, the nation’s First Lady and other well-meaning Nigerians, said the gestures were warm and comforting, as he and his family have drawn a lot of strength from the show of love.
He recalled that the deceased First Lady who has been his wife for 38 years had lived a successful and fulfilled life and by all standards, a great achiever and a woman of great faith who has been a blessing with legacies worthy of great memorial.
“It is something that we cannot easily come to terms with. For me, when I talk to people, I tell them this is a lifetime mourning, you mourn in stages. It is not something you just finish mourning and it is over because as long as you live, you will keep seeing that vacuum. But the truth is, the encouragement, the comfort and the supports we have received from very well-meaning Nigerians gives us that hope and the ability to continue to look forward.
It is amazing how this has touched people across party lines. The other day, apart from the press release of His Excellency, the President, he also made a personal call. He spent a time on phone. So the interest that people are taking gives us that comfort and that encouragement daily, and it helps us manage the pains.
So we want to thank you for coming all the way. To travel these days from one point to the other and to finally make it to Akwa Ibom is stressful. If people don’t love you, they won’t do all of that. So, this exhibits that love, and we do not take it for granted”.
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