By Darlington DAVID
Wife of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mrs. Queen Akan Okon, has described the complementary effort of Family Empowerment and Youth Re-Orientation Programme (FEYReP), a pet project of the State’s First Lady, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, by Commissioners and Special Advisers Wives Association (COSAWA) as true essence of humanity.
Mrs. Okon said this shortly after the Association visited the Humanitarian Centre of Goodnews Community (Gospel Village), St Anthony’s Destitute Centre, and Way to the Nations Children’s Centre, all being homes for vulnerable and less privileged children in Abak, Uyo and Eket.
The Housing and Special Duties Commissioner’s wife admonished the children and inmates of the centres to be of good behavior, be guided by God’s words and give the height of respect to one another and the public at large.
The Association, which was led by wife of the Youth and Sports Commissioner, Lady Blessing Monday Ebong-Uko, donated items worth thousands of Naira to assist the Centres in catering for these vulnerable children.
The items include cash, bags of rice, tubers of yams, bags of garri, cartons of Indomie noodles, bags of beans, cartons of biscuits, detergents as well as disinfectants, toiletries, among others
Mrs. Ebong Uko also said their outing, which they intend to make it annually, was to support the noble and laudable pet project of the Governor’s Wife, FEYRep.
She equally encouraged the children to be focused and reminded them that it is only in doing right that they can fulfill their destinies and become successful in life.
Speaking earlier, the Director of the Goodnews Humanitarian Centre, Abak, Mrs. Promise Essien, thanked members of COSAWA for their magnanimity and prayed God to reward each and every one of them.
She said the center, which was initiated by Arcbishop Elijah Mboho, is to better the lives of vulnerable children and those rejected by their parents, stressing that it is a home for the rehabilitation and reintegration of the inmates into the society.
At St Anthony’s Destitute Centre, Uyo, Mrs. Deborah Chioma Emefiena, who received the COSAWA team, thanked them for kind gestures and thoughtfulness towards the inmates of the centre.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Way to the Nations Children’s Centre, Eket, Mrs. Diana-Abasi Akanimo, disclosed that the center, which is ran by a Board of Directors, has 40 children and dedicated staff comprising of a Nurse, Cooks, Security, House master and mistress.
Mrs. Akanimo, who commended COSAWA for its tenacity in giving quality foodstuff and financial support to the vulnerable and less privileged in the society, said the inmates of the Centre are currently in different public schools within Eket.
She also presented a special child of the Centre, Master Abasiono St. Lukes, a four-year old baby that was abandoned at the entrance of St. Luke’s Hopital, Eket, a year ago due to cerebral infection.
The COSAWA Team was made up of Lady Blessing Monday Ebong-Uko (President), Mrs. Nelly Ukpong (Secretary), Mrs. Doris Linus Nkan (Treasurer), Barrister Mfon Udoinyang (Project Co-Ordinator), and Mrs. Queen Akan Okon.
Others were Evangelist Pat Akpabio, Mrs. Mabel Ime Ekpo, Mrs. Elizabeth Udo Ekpenyong, Evangelist Christy Nwoko, Mrs. Ndifreke Essien, Mrs. Joy Orman Esin, Mrs. Ekaette Essien, Mrs Ime Ephraim Inyang, Mrs. Regina Charles Udo, Mrs. Matina Ekong Sampson, and Mrs. Edu Victor Antai.
