24/02/2026
From Dispossession to Dignity: How Media Advocacy Secured a Home for a Displaced Widow, Comfort Ekpenyong
…as Uyo Council Chairman Builds, Compassionate Home
Mary Ekere, NAWOJ
Hope returned to Madam Comfort Okon Ekpenyong on Monday, February 23, 2026, as years of hardship, displacement and uncertainty gave way to dignity, safety and a fresh start in a newly built ARISE Compassionate Home in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
For years, the widow from Nung Nsoh Akpan, Nsukara Offot lived a life defined by loss and struggle. Her story first came to public attention after the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Akwa Ibom State Chapter visited her on June 19, 2025, following a presentation of her plight by Comrade Grace Udoma at the Association’s June general meeting held at the NUJ Press Centre, Uyo.
Moved by the report, the Chairman of NAWOJ, Comrade Nsikak Okon, immediately mobilised members of the Executive for a fact-finding visit to Nsukara Offot. What they found was a painful account of dispossession, neglect and survival against all odds.
According to Madam Ekpenyong, shortly after the death of her husband, his siblings allegedly took over his eight plots of land under the pretext of selling them to offset her hospital bills after childbirth.
“They told buyers the money was needed to pay my hospital bills so I could be discharged. But Dr. Edem and his wife never asked me for any payment. They took care of everything for me and my baby,” she recalled.
Instead, the properties were reportedly converted for personal use, leaving the widow and her three daughters without any means of support or shelter.
Determined to survive, she struggled to rebuild her life, erecting a modest mud house in 2015. But fate dealt another blow in 2021 when a rainstorm destroyed the structure. Since then, she has lived in extreme vulnerability — preparing fufu in an open space during the day and taking refuge at night in an uncompleted building made available by a sympathetic friend of her late husband.
The emotional impact of the NAWOJ report and sustained follow-up advocacy, drew public attention and government response.
The turning point came when the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Uwemedimo Udo, took up the cause and facilitated the construction of an ARISE Compassionate Home – fully furnished, equipped with solar-powered electricity and borehole water for the widow.
Representing the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Emem Ibanga, lauded Uyo Local Government Council Chairman for aligning with the ARISE Compassionate Home initiative of the State Government, ensuring that one home is delivered in each ward. She upheld that governance must prioritise compassion and care for society’s most vulnerable.
Uyo Local Government Council Chairman, Uwemedimo Udo said the event was deeply personal, disclosing that many people were unaware of the difficult life Madam Comfort had lived. "When we saw her condition, we knew we had to act immediately”, Udo said, whilst presenting her with a cheque of ₦500,000 to boost her business.
Other public office holders and stakeholders also made financial contributions to the upliftment of the widow including the Chairman’s wife, Akaninyene Uwemedimo Udo who provided clothing and other items.
At the inauguration ceremony, the modest but comfortable structure stood as more than a building — it symbolised restoration of dignity, protection for the vulnerable, and the power of compassionate governance driven by responsive journalism.
NAWOJ Chairman, Comrade Nsikak Okon, commended the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council for their instrumental roles in improving the widow’s condition and making a direct, life-changing impact.
For Madam Comfort Ekpenyong, who was addressed as “Mma Ntagha Ufok Nsukara” in the Community – as a reflection of her dilemma, the new home represents a future reclaimed and dignity restored as the long season of displacement has ended. In its place stands a new beginning — secure, dignified and filled with hope.
With tears of gratitude, she described the gesture as “a miracle,” noting that after years of rejection, hardship and uncertainty, she and her daughters now have a place of their own. She offered prayers for Governor Umo Eno and his family, the Chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, Uwemedimo Udo and his family, the Good Samaritan who sheltered her, and all who contributed to transforming her story.
Beyond the walls and roofing sheets, the Compassionate Home reflects the impact of collaborative action — where advocacy, responsive leadership and community empathy converge to transform a life.
