From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has underscored the importance of health, education and human capital development, saying the three sectors remained his major areas of concentration.
He spoke at the premises of St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences in Benin, Edo State, where he donated ₦15 million for the completion of an ongoing building project, yesterday.
Obi, who last year, donated N10 million to the same institution, noted that every nation must invest heavily in health and education to be truly wealthy.
“As I always say, school is the most important investment you can make to humanity. Education is number one. Number two, is health. It is said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. So, we must invest in health.
“The most important measurable development is health, education and pulling people out of poverty, and I am concentrated in the three of them. That is why every week, I go to health facilities and schools to support them.
“You can’t talk about health without talking about human capital infrastructure in it. The most important infrastructure in health are the nurses because they are the closest to the patients,” he stressed.
He predicted that the world may experience a shortage of nurses by the year 2030 because their services are always in demand.
Obi, who disclosed that he visits over 50 nursing schools and hospitals every year to support them, called on the government and well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the youths, saying that life without support or help to humanity is not worth living.
“In my own little way, I want to support what you are doing here. As I said last year and previously, it was not just last year that I am here for the first time, I have been here several times and I can continue to come until we are sure that all these our young ones are taken care of.
“So, I hereby again continue my support which I will fulfil now by presenting this cheque of N15 million,” Obi said.
Provost of the school, Rev. Fr Jerome Idebe, who recalled that the former presidential candidate also visited the school last year to donate a huge sum of money, thanked him for the ₦15 million support to the school.