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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Former Governor of Anambra State and Presidential Candidate of Labour party during the 2023 general elections Mr Peter Obi presented a cheque of N75 million naira to Immaculate Heart of Mary Specialist Hospital, Nkpor, Anambra State.
Obi while handing over the cheque disclosed that the donation comprised of $50,000 he personally raised for the hospital through his friend and renowned New York based Paediatrician , Dr Philip Ozuah and his personal support of N15 million.
He appreciated the Immaculate Heart Sisters for the wonderful work they are doing in health, education and poverty reduction.
He said he has always talked to people of like-minds to support the society in critical areas like health and education and appreciated Dr Ozuah for the positive intervention.
He said institutions like the one run by the Immaculate Heart Sisters are in difficulty and requires support because they don’t receive government subvention.
“They treat people including the poor who are unable to pay, so individuals like me should come to their aid and support them to do more. I’ve been doing this for years and will continue to offer my support for this”.
Obi said he will always support institutions that are well managed noting that the Immaculate Heart Sisters have proved to be effective managers of funds since his relationship with them over the years.
“I most sincerely thank the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters for the wonderful work they are doing in critical areas of development -health, education and pulling people out of poverty. And I will continue to solicit support for them wherever I can. My brother and good friend Prof. Dr Philip Ozuah whom I consider a very kind and committed fellow in terms of improving humanity has donated the sum of $N50, 000. I’m also supporting with N15million” Obi said.
Expressing gratitude to Obi and Ozuah for the donation, Superior General of the Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary Mother of Christ, the proprietor of the Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor , Rev. Mother Maureen Akabogu appreciated Obi for his gracious donation and consistent support to the Immaculate Heart Hospital, Nkpor since inception.
She prayed that God will bless Obi and Ozuah with good health, grace of holiness and eternal reward in heaven.
She said they owe the donors a lot especially prayers describing their gesture as overwhelming.
“It is indeed a great day of joy and I believe strongly what St. Paul says that for those who love God, everything works together for good. I’ve been bothered about how to execute some projects in this hospital until I got the good news that Mr Peter Obi is coming to assist us and here we are. This is a great help to us and a great leap to what we are doing here in caring for the sick”. She said.
The Mother General disclosed that the hospital runs many charity activities including offsetting the bills of some indigent patient that could not pay their medical bills. She noted that the donation from Obi and his friend will help them greatly in this direction.
Chief Executive Officer of Immaculate Heart Hospital, Sr. Maria -Nkiruka Okafor in a remark said Obi and Ozuah’s donation will go a long way to help in providing standard healthcare services to both the rich and the poor that accesses the hospital.
She solicited for more assistance to the hospital from people of goodwill noting that the hospital focuses on saving lives first and deemphasising on money.
The hospital CEO said the donated funds will be ploughed in critical areas like equipping the hospital in its newly acquired CT scanner and the dialysis centre in procuring the required consumables needed to keep the centre running and also in alternative source of energy to the hospital among other interventions.
Obi was accompanied by a board member of the hospital, his former Commissioner for Economic Planning and Chief of Staff, Prof. Chinyere Okunna, who described Obi’s gesture as joy immeasurable.
