Coordinator of the office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki.
By Anietie Akpan
Amid the 2026 Valentine’s Day celebrations , the Coordinator of the office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki has released a formal set of guidelines for the public, to ensure that everyone enjoys the season of love without ending up in trouble.
Speaking at the “Love No Be Fight” dance celebration which took place on Friday, February 13 at the Ibom Plaza Amphitheater organised by the Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Management Committee, (AKSGBVMC), Lady Obareki advised Akwa Ibom youths to ensure their safety by informing their friends and family of their whereabouts on Valentine’s day.
In a release from her Media Unit, dated February 14, Lady Obareki informed them to take selfies with their partners and share their location with others, to assist with the process of tracking, where things go wrong.
“I don’t know why we are so secretive about the places we go to on Valentine’s Day or the people that we’re with. If you know that it is such a big secret who you’re with, then you probably shouldn’t be with that person. Take a selfie with the person. Tell your friend to take a picture of the person you’re going out with. If anything happens, they know who you went out with. So if someone doesn’t want to stand and pose for a picture with you, that should be a red flag, and you probably shouldn’t be going out with that person.”
It’s Valentine’s season and we know that most of our young people are usually abused, and they face one form of violence or another, which is why we have come here to raise awareness that you should desist from all forms of violence. And we’re not just talking to our young men, we’re also talking to the young women as well, with a simple message that we are wearing on our Tshirts – LOVE NO BE FIGHT,” She added.
Describing Valentines Day as a day for the celebration of love with less privileged persons, Lady Obareki, who is the Chairman of the AKSGBVMC, warned against harassment and the use of force where consent is not given, reminding Akwa Ibom people of the life imprisonment sentence for Rape.
“For men and women, if your partner says no, It doesn’t matter what stage of intimacy you’re in. If she says no, no means no. It is not negotiable. If you are sent to jail, if you are sentenced to court, the question would be, did she say no? and by that time, you would be in trouble,” She added.
The Secretary of the AKSGBVMC and Director SGBV in the State Ministry of Justice, Barr. Emem Ette, described the pre – Valentine day event to address the spike in violence that usually characterizes the “lovers season.
Others who spoke were a Behavioral Communications Expert, Mrs Nkoyo Umoh, a GBV male Advocate Barr. Anietie Bassey, a member of the AKSGBVMC Obongawan Patricia Essien and Mr Chikodi Kingsley who gave out nuggets for the benefit of students and others.
The GBV Committee “Dance for Love”, which also featured different dance sessions coordinated by the Kings Entertainment Group, had in attendance the president of WALGON, Mrs Akaninyene Udo, the wife of the Chairman of Ibiono Ibom LG Council, Mrs Etiemana Asuakak Umoh, the Coordinator of the ARISE Initiative for the Elderly, Mrs Mercy Eka, members of the GBV Management Committee and State Drug Control Committee, Staff of the Office of the First Lady, as well as Members of the Coalition against SGBV in Akwa Ibom State
