Women in Akwa Ibom have been urged to take an active role in protecting their families from influences that could threaten their unity, peace and progress.
The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, gave the charge at the opening of the 2026 Healing for Women International Convention organised by the Gospel Foundation Mission in Etinan.
Obareki, who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Inibehe Silas Etukudo, urged women to remain alert to individuals and situations capable of creating division within their homes.
She said women had an important responsibility in sustaining peaceful families and should not allow external pressures to undermine the stability they had built.
The First Lady’s Coordinator also acknowledged the support of the church’s women for Governor Umo Eno and his administration, while appreciating the church’s founder, whom she described as the Governor’s spiritual mother, for her prayers and support.
Speaking on the convention’s theme, “A Woman of Strength and Dignity,” Obareki stressed that the well-being of women was closely connected to the progress of families and society.
In her sermon, the convener, Bishop Enobong Essien, urged women to recognise their influence in the home, church and wider society, describing them as people whose contributions deserved respect and recognition.
Drawing from 1 Kings 21:1–8, she spoke on women’s determination and their influence on family and societal affairs, encouraging participants to value their abilities and use their strength positively.
Essien also referred to the support of Akwa Ibom women for Governor Eno’s second-term ambition, describing women as a strong force capable of influencing developments in their communities.
She subsequently led prayers for the Governor and his political ambition before presenting thousands of campaign materials to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
The four-day convention, which opened on October 30, is scheduled to end on Sunday.
