By Ime Silas
Women, the world over, have been described as society’s assets, hence the need to provide for them with a view to harnessing their full potentials. This was part of Obong (Dr) Uduakobong Udoh’s assertions on Friday, September 26, 2025, when he played host to the executive members of a socio-political organization known as Women Coalition for Good Governance at the Akwa Ibom State office of Opposition Coalition, Uyo.
“After creation, God created man to manage what He had created. Yet, He wasn’t satisfied until He created woman to serve as helpmeet for the man”, the Akwa Ibom Coalition leader, Dr Udoh noted.
Speaking further, Obong Uduakobong Udoh who was the governorship standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom State, maintained that in order to get the best from the women, provisions must be made available for their empowerment.
“There’s this experience I had when I was a little boy. In one of the days I was being driven to school, I saw a very big wooden lorry with women and bags of garri loaded inside. Some of the women were hanging on the lorry in a very scary manner”, Dr. Uduak recalled.
He continued “Even at that age, I wasn’t very comfortable with what I saw, so I asked my father where they were going to, and why they were being packed in that manner. My father told me that they were returning from Ogoja, where they went to buy garri. So, because of the love I had for my mother, I was imagining my mother being amongst those suffering women.
I remember vividly that I shed tears seeing the women suffering like that and I prayed to God to grant me the opportunity to help people, especially the women from suffering”.
While decrying the state of affairs in Akwa Ibom, the Coalition leader continued “But why are we suffering in Akwa Ibom State? It is because the state is being run by a cabal, a group of recycled individuals who have constantly and continuously been in government for time immemorial. They had since finished building their houses here. They are done buying their property. So, since the current Government keeps recycling them, they are now investing outside the state, with no one benefiting from their investments.
Come 2027, there’s going to be a change in the status quo. That’s why all of us must come together under the coalition umbrella to ensure that we enthrone a government we can truly call our own so that this suffering would be eliminated”.
Earlier in her speech, President of the group, Mrs. Freena Akpanusong said their visit was to declare their support for the leadership of the Opposition Coalition in the state and to register their commitment towards working for its success.
“We’ve been following you keenly and can vouch for your sincerity. We voted for you in 2023 when you contested on the Labour Party platform. Irrespective of the fact that the results didn’t reflect our yearnings, we will still support you, and follow you to wherever you go. We believe that this time around, we shall succeed.
What you see here is just the state executive members of Women Coalition for Good Governance. We have our members at the chapters. We will pray for you. We have the mandate to convince our husbands, our children, our relatives, our colleagues to work with you and the Coalition so that we can achieve the change we collectively desire”.
Also speaking glowingly of Dr. Uduakobong Udoh during the visit was Mrs. Martina Umana, while Deaconesses Iniobong Okpongete corroborated the resolve of the Women Coalition to champion the cause of change, come 2027.
Others in the delegation were Mrs. Ekaete Akpan, Schulastica Asuquo, Edidiong Jack, Catherine Martin, Idongesit Tim and Joy Emmanuel Essien.
Present during the visit were prominent members of the opposition Coalition including the National Chairman of the Democratic Freedom Front (DFF); Mr. Ikakke Bassey, Seno Ibanga and Mrs. Pauline Amos.
