Rivers First Lady Celebrates Christmas Day Babies, Mothers at UPTH, RSUT
• Tonye Okurumo
•••Visits Children’s Home, Presents Gifts to Motherless Babies
Port Harcourt – The First Lady of Rivers State, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has called on parents to instill the fear of God in their children as part of their responsibility to their families and the state. Her advice came during her Christmas Day visits to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), and the Port Harcourt Children’s Home in Borokiri, Port Harcourt.
According to a statement from the Press Unit of the Government House, Port Harcourt, issued on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, Lady Valerie Fubara marked the special day by celebrating with Christmas Day babies, their parents, and children at the juvenile home.
At UPTH, she presented gifts to Baby Sammy Obayegbona, born at 1 a.m. to Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Obayegbona, weighing 3.6kg. Similarly, at RSUTH, she celebrated Baby Kate Saviour, delivered at 6:38 a.m. to Mr. and Mrs. Saviour Enefiok Etim, weighing 3.1kg. She also distributed gifts to other children in the hospital wards, offering prayers for their health and blessings.
Speaking to parents, the First Lady emphasized, “We should fear God and love Him. Once you have the fear of the Lord, you don’t need to be advised; it becomes your guide. When you are doing something wrong, the fear of God will caution you.”
She also urged mothers to support their husbands in every way possible, including through prayer. “It is very important as mothers to support our husbands—not just in prayers but in all ways we can. Together, we build strong families and a stronger state,” she added.
Expressing gratitude for the safe deliveries, she noted, “To God be all the glory. These children are blessings not just to their families but to the state, especially being born on Christmas Day. I pray that they grow in wisdom, strength, and the fear of the Lord. May they bring blessings and open doors for their families. As the Bible says, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’”
At the Port Harcourt Children’s Home, Lady Fubara danced and celebrated with the children, reflecting on her personal connection to the home, as her late mother once worked there. “My last visit here was in 1985 when I was a child. This place holds a special place in my heart, and I thought it important to visit and see for myself how the children are faring. Their welfare is a priority for the state government,” she said.
The Chief Medical Director at RSUTH, Prof. Chizindu Alikor, and the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at UPTH, Prof. Datonye Alasia, expressed gratitude to Lady Fubara for her compassion and support. Parents of the Christmas Day babies, Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Obayegbona and Mr. and Mrs. Saviour Enefiok Etim, also thanked the First Lady for her generosity, including gifts and financial support.
The visit underscored Lady Fubara’s commitment to the welfare of children and families in Rivers State, reminding all of the significance of Christmas as a time of love, giving, and celebration of life. GMTNewsng
