Hundreds of Pregnant women and children under the age of five, in Uyo Local Government Area, are beneficiaries of the Golden Initiative For All, GIFA “Wheels of Hope” medical outreach, which held at Ikot Ebido Primary Health Centre in Uyo.
The outreach brought together a team of medical professionals and volunteers, who provided healthcare services and dispensed medications where applicable, to the women and children from all the wards in Uyo.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Coordinator, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Patience Umo Eno Golden Initiative For All, GIFA, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, described the programme as a practical expression of GIFA’s commitment to it’s 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 the Eket Senatorial District Women Forum, Dr Idara Akpan, Lady Obareki, who highlighted GIFA’s Second Anniversary celebration on February 20, 2026, stressed that the true measure of the initiative’s success lies not in years but in the lives touched and illnesses prevented.
“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 said.
Lady Obareki 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.
She lent her voice to ongoing advocacies ahead of the 2026 commemoration of the 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.
The Team Lead of GIFA, 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.
The wife of the member representing Uyo State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs Idongesit Asuquo, the 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. They expressed hope that the initiative would continue to positively impact families beyond its second anniversary celebration.
The entourage from the Office of the First Lady included the wife of the member representing Ini State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs Esther Udoide, the wife of the Commissioner for Power, Mrs Mariatherese Robson and the wife of the Chairman of Ika Local Government Council, Mrs Idongesit Nwoko.
Media Unit
Office of the First Lady, AKS
February 3, 2026
