The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has donated the sum of 10 million Naira to the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Philomena Hospital in Benin City, Edo State.
In a post on his X account, Obi revealed that during his interactions with the nurses, he understood “their pains concerning the challenges they face from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) regarding their licence verification, which, according to them, has made accessing global opportunities difficult for Nigerian nurses and midwives.”
Obi appealed to the NMCN “to heed the earnest requests of our dear nurses and resume the verification of nursing licences with less stringent rules and at a reduced cost.”
Peter Obi’s post reads:
“Yesterday, July 31, while still trying to bear the weight of the shocking death of my very dear elder sister, Onyeka Onwenu, on July 30, I honored a scheduled visit to the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Philomena Hospital in Benin City, Edo State.
“At the institution, I had the pleasure of interacting with the nursing students, whose contributions to our health sector, especially at the primary level, cannot be overemphasized.
“In my commitment to the human and material development of the nation, and exemplifying my consistent call for increased investment in the health and education sectors, I supported the School of Midwifery with a modest donation of N10 million.
“In my discussions with the nurses, I felt their pain regarding the challenges they face from the NMCN concerning their licence verification, which has, according to them, complicated their access to global opportunities.
“I sincerely appeal to this respected body to heed the earnest requests of our dear nurses and to resume the verification of nursing licences with less stringent regulations and at a more affordable cost.
“While I understand their concerns about the brain drain of nurses from Nigeria, I have maintained that we cannot restrict our nurses from exploring global opportunities; instead, we should invest more in training additional nurses to meet the demands of our health sector.
“I thank the Proprietor, Management, and Staff of the School of Midwifery at St. Philomena Hospital in Benin City for their dedication and commitment to cultivating well-trained health professionals and for their contributions to the growth of our health sector.
“Building a robust health and education sector remains critical for human and national development, and I remain committed to this cause. By staying dedicated to societal development through our investments in these critical areas, we will build the New Nigeria we all aspire to. It is POssible.”
