By Jude Michael
Rev. Fr. Obiora Ugochukwu, CEO of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, has revealed that during Peter Obi’s visit to the school, Obi had accidentally overpaid the hospital’s School of Nursing by ₦2.5 million. Obi had pledged ₦20 million to 16 medical institutions, paying in instalments, but the hospital received ₦2.5 million extra. Fr. Ugochukwu initially thought it was an isolated mistake until other institutions reported the same. When he contacted Obi about the error, Obi was pleased with the integrity shown.
Obi confirmed the story, and, during his next visit, donated an additional ₦10 million. He explained that the extra amount would be given to institutions that demonstrated honesty by reporting the overpayment. Obi also encouraged public and private sector managers to uphold such transparency.
In his words: ‘Today, in furtherance of my unwavering commitment to critical and measurable areas of development – health, education, and lifting people out of poverty – I visited Our Lady of Lourdes College of Nursing Sciences, Ihiala. During my visit, I took stock of their progress and was pleased to witness the positive outcomes of our ongoing support. Earlier this year, I donated ₦20 million to aid their efforts, and in recognition of their commendable work, I made an additional donation of ₦10 million today.’
Obi encouraged the students to remain dedicated in their pursuits, assuring them that the world would always need nurses and other healthcare workers. He mentioned some Nigerian nurses abroad who, he said, were supporting their families, and urged the students to grow with the same spirit of helping others, including their teachers.
Obi also took the opportunity to encourage the government to pay special attention to schools, emphasizing that spending on education should be seen as an investment, not a waste.
Miss Peace Ituma, Secretary General of the Students Union, expressed gratitude on behalf of the students, noting that Obi’s contributions, dating back to his time as Governor, had significantly enhanced the school’s infrastructure. Obi was led on a tour of the complex to observe ongoing projects, including a new administrative building partly funded by his donations.
