Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, on Sunday, 14 January, presented cheques worth about N75 million to the Annunciation Specialist Hospital for the commencement of its College of Nursing Sciences in Enugu.
Obi, who was in the hospital on Sunday, said he mobilized $50,000 (about N60 million) from one of his friends, Prof. Philip Ozua while he added the sum of N15 million to make the total sum to N75 million.
Speaking to the management and staff of the hospital, Obi said the donations were meant to appreciate the work the congregation of the Daughters of Divine Love (DDL), owners of the hospital, was doing in the area of helping to build a better society.
He said he had to get involved in supporting the immeasurable things voluntary agencies like the Daughters of Divine Love, were doing because things were becoming more difficult.
He stated: “If you look at the wonderful works they’re doing, I have to support them. And it is in line with that that I have been going around talking to friends to help especially now that they (the hospital) have the intention of building a college of nursing sciences which is critical.
“If you consider the future, Nigeria today lacks basic medical care workers and nursing is number one. They want to build a college for that and I want to partner with them in that direction. And I have also spoken to somebody I consider a very dear friend and brother whose commitment to building a better nation is immeasurable in supporting such things globally and is doing so now, Prof Philip Ozua”.
Obi, who expressed worries that private individuals and groups were now rendering more of the services the government should have been more involved in, used the opportunity to call on the government to do more and partner with such individuals and organisations.
“Government should see that things work. When I was in the office, you can go and verify, I partnered with establishments like this. All the nursing schools that were started while I was governor I started it.
“In fact, I go to hospitals and say, start a school of nursing and I gave them the funding. That is what government should be doing, because they are now doing the work of government should have been doing.
“Our constitution says that government should provide education, health and pull people out of poverty and that we (government) are not doing and they (private individuals and groups) are doing that and we must help them. I believe in their commitment. They have given us a target on when to start this school. My job is to see that that school starts on the day they want to start it. I will look for the money”.
The Superior General of the congregation of the Daughters of Divine Love, Rev. Sis. Mary Annastasia Dike expressed excitement over the donations, saying it would quicken the process of commencing the college as soon as possible.
She disclosed that Annunciation Specialist Hospital decided to establish the College of Nursing Sciences to bridge the acute shortage of health personnel in the country as a result of people leaving the country to look for greener pastures.
