On the palms of all humans are invisibly written the mandates, directions and purposes to fulfill while on the planet earth for the benefit of the immediate environment, humanity in general and to the glory of God.
The capacity of in-depth interpretation of divine mandates and roles, demands the assertion of rights, irrespective of gender. Across the globe, those who have carefully interpreted their roles and mandates on earth are few. This group consists of men and women who have broken the ice, set the pace and become torch-bearers to communities, states and nations.
In the opening chapter of pathfinders in the Nigerian history and encyclopedias is conspicuously written the name of Senator (Mrs) Helen Udoakaha Esuene. The mantle to lead, direct, instruct and make the world a better place than she met it, started beckoning at her birth on November 23, 1949 to the family of Nung Umo-Nka of Ifa Ikot Okpon, Etoi, Uyo Local Government Area. Helen later became an indigene of Eket Local Government Area by marriage on September 21, 1968 to the then Military Governor of South Eastern State, late Brigadier-General Udoakaha Jacob Esuene, whose 20 Years Remembrance Celebration was observed on the 14th of April, 2013.
CHILDHOOD/EDUCATION
Though she came as the twelfth child in the family, Helen grew up with exceptional beauty, intellect and focus to overcome the many challenges of those days. Her name, “Helen” is a Greek word meaning the “Bright One” but her parents fondly called her “Glory”. With God given attributes and the extra-ordinary parental care, Helen distinguished herself right from the primary and secondary school education, including the Saint Louis College, Kano and the popular Cornelia Cornelly College, Uyo where she obtained a Division One grade in the West African School Certificate (WASC) examination in 1965.
Despite ethnic violence, fate determined Helen’s admission and subsequent graduation in 1968 from the reputable Federal Government Training Centre, Kaduna with a Certificate in Secretarial Studies. Not satisfied, she enrolled as a mature student in 2003 at the renowned University of Leicester, United Kingdom (UK), where she obtained a Master of Science Degree in Finance. These exposed her potential in the art and science of financial management and investment expertise.
As a devoted Christian, Helen has remained God-fearing. She worships with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and with the Intercessors for Nigeria (IFN). Impressed with her outstanding achievements in public service, business and Christian living, President Goodluck Jonathan bestowed on Helen, a Special Recognition Award of Honour at Aso Villa Chapel in 2010.
EARLY SERVICE
The one-on-one experience and interactions, both formal and informal provided Helen the solid platform in capacity building in the Executive and Administrative cadres of the Civil Service of the then South-Eastern State/Cross River State for 17 years, and later in private entrepreneurship after her voluntary retirement in 1985.
THE FIRST LADY OF SOUTH-EASTERN STATE
Matrimony, motherhood, career and the pressures of societal demands of the Nigerian civil war and post-war era came to Helen at the tender age of eighteen. Despite this daunting situation, she was able to play all roles satisfactorily. It was during her watch as First Lady that the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) was birthed in the State and groomed to manage the issue of post-war challenges of abandoned/disconnected children through the setting up of the Otop-Otop Orphanage home in Calabar.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
In 1993, Helen joined the Rotary International as the first female member of the Club in Eket to help the less privileged. As a result of her diligence, team spirit and love for service, she was voted the Club President in 1998. Helen ultimately came out to clinch the coveted position of Best Club President of Rotary, District 9140. In addition, she got a Significant Service Award for Outstanding Community Service by Rotary International.
ESUENE FOUNDATION
In 1997 as a means of encouraging the less privileged in the society even at a time when Helen was grappling with the education of her young children and could not boast of financial comfort, she set up the Esuene Foundation for the purpose of offering helping hands through scholarships for indigent students in tertiary institutions. The Foundation, funded entirely by Helen also initiated the Under-17 National Soccer Tournament which attracted participation of 18-23 States of the Federation annually. The Competition was successfully managed for six years.
As at today, over 100 doctors, engineers, lawyers and others have successfully completed their degree courses with the assistance of Esuene Foundation. Currently, there are 53 scholarship recipients in various universities across Nigeria.
BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Senator Helen Esuene on leaving the Civil Service went into private enterprise, setting up Grafen Enterprises Ltd which later metamorphosed to Grafen Integrated Oilfield Services Ltd while Villa Marina Ltd came on board in the year 2000. The two companies are involved in the provision of Oil & Gas related technical services as well as hospitality; they jointly manage about 500 staffs. Without gainsaying, Helen Esuene as an entrepreneur cum politician has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the economy of Akwa Ibom State and the socio-political stability of Nigeria.
STATE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
In Akwa Ibom State, community service by Helen has been unceasing. She had provided services as the State Organizing Secretary of the Better Life for Rural Women Programme; Chairman, Board of the Akwa Ibom State Commission for Women; Member, Board of Directors of Uforo Community Bank, Champion Breweries and Plasto Crown Nigeria Limited. It is pertinent to note that Helen has always been a strong and committed advocate of women empowerment especially as enunciated by the First Lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan led “Women for Change Initiative.”
Still providing services, recently Helen adopted, refurbished and re-equipped the Male Surgical Ward at Immanuel General Hospital, Eket in respect and honour of her late husband, Gen.U. J. Esuene. That project significantly compliments the committed efforts of the present administration to bring quality healthcare closer to the people of the state. The project was commissioned by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
NATIONAL SERVICE
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH: Significantly, Helen has gone through the thick and thin of childhood, studentship, civil service, motherhood and entrepreneurship. Rightly, the various rungs of life have guided her footsteps in many engagements that enriched her life. Today, Helen is a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Development. She had a successful but brief tenure in the Federal Executive Council as Minister of State for Health in 2005. The bird flu pandemic which was as a result of H5NI virus and its containment and effective management in Nigeria was during her tenure in the Ministry.
Also, the approval by the Federal Government to make anti-retroviral drugs for HIV patients to be free was achieved during her short stay in the Federal Ministry of Health as Minister of State. During her tenure, she worked towards the elevation of the then Federal Medical Centre, Uyo to Teaching Hospital Status which it is today.
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT: Helen Esuene was appointed Minister of Environment in 2006 and later in 2007, the Ministry was enlarged and changed to Ministry of Environment, Lands, Housing and Urban Development just before the end of the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo in May, 2007. Within the sixteen months of her tenure in that Ministry, she was able to jump-start some processes and accomplished some goals. In order to stem the advancement of the Sahara Desert and the south-ward movement of the population, a plan of action for the Sahel Region code-named Green Wall Sahara was articulated by her and accepted by the affected countries in Africa and was officially launched.
A complimentary programme to rehabilitate the semi-arid environment to make it productive and habitable was floated. This was the Desert-to-Food programme which was in partnership with the Israeli government of which negotiations had gone far before her exit. For the purpose of properly regulating environmental issues, the National Environmental Standards Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) were driven from draft through approval by Federal Executive Council and through the passage of the Bill bt the National Assembly to its establishment during her tenure.
Helen’s definite actions drew the attention of the Federal Government to the deplorable state of degradation of the environment in the Ogoni land arising from many years (some during the war) of very serious oil spills. This action led to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as an independent entity being commissioned to produce a base-line study on how to remediate the entire area. Out of the 7 Integrated Waste Management Projects awarded in the country, Akwa Ibom was chosen as one of the States to benefit from the initiative.
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY COMMISSION (NUC): Through her appointment as a member of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Helen contributed her zeal in raising the standard and quality of tertiary education by encouraging the use of ICT by staff and students, and making sure that departments were properly accredited.
SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Mrs. Helen Esuene was sworn-in as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on June 2, 2011 into the Seventh National Assembly. Expectedly, Senator Esuene has consistently played active and effective roles in all the businesses of the Senate among which are Deliberations, Resolutions, Bill passage and Oversight duties. She has sponsored two Bills, co-sponsored five Bills and presented four Petitions from the public.
In 2012 financial year, Senator Helen Esuene has started the following people’s oriented Constituency Projects:
• Mini Oil Palm Mill – Etebi-Mbauyo, Esit Eket
• Garri Production/Iron Foundry, Eket
• Memorial Building in commemoration of 1929 Women War, Ikot Abasi
• Water Borehold/Reticulation, Esit Urua
She has pushed for and attracted the following projects, facilitated through the NDDC and the MGDs:
• Construction/Furnishing of 3-Classroom Block with borehole in Udung Uko, Urue Offong and Eket LGA)
• Erosion Control in Iquita, Oron (Engineering Design completed)
• Construction of Farmland Road (Nditia) in Eket
• Construction of Mkpat Enin-Ikot Abia Road (Ikot Abasi)
In continuation of providing valuable services to her Constituency, Senator Helen Esuene also established a Job Network Centre (a one-stop-shop for job seekers and employers of labour) and Riviera Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society. A quarterly magazine called “EKET” is being produced for the enlightenment of her constituents and the general public.
There is no doubt, Senator Helen Esuene is an embodiment of service and achievements we can rely on.
CALL TO SERVE
The good people of Akwa Ibom State are on the march again in search of genuine and credible leadership that will encourage consolidations and innovations on past achievements in the state. It is germane therefore, that only persons with proven integrity, clear vision, respect and love for our people are entrusted with the authority of governance. In straight terms, only persons whose achievements are empirically verifiable should be given the mantle of leadership to drive the affairs of our state.
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