Obi urges government to prioritize health education for national growth, donates N15m to UNTH dentistry faculty

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By Madu Obi

Former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has donated ₦15 million to the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, during which he urged government to prioritize health education for the country's national growth.

Addressing students of the faculty, Obi said his visit was prompted by a heartfelt letter from one of the students, explaining that he deliberately avoided notifying the institution’s leadership of his visit in advance to prevent any disruption to academic activities.

Moved by the visibly poor conditions of the students’ learning environment, Obi lamented the deterioration compared to what obtained during his time at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

Drawing on his educational experience from some of the world’s best institutions, he decried the sharp contrast in academic infrastructure, noting that no nation should allow its children to suffer due to neglect.

Renowned for his commitment to education, Obi blamed the deplorable state of health institutions in Nigeria on chronic leadership failure and called for collaborative efforts to improve health education, which he described as indispensable to the survival and progress of any society.

“One of your colleagues reached out to me about the challenges facing your faculty and appealed for support. I have come to commend your resilience in striving to succeed in a system that is not providing you with adequate facilities", he said.

He recalled how, during his time at UNN, the then President Shehu Shagari visited the school and even spent the night there, testifying to the value that was once placed on education in Nigeria.

Obi urged the students to be assertive in demanding better conditions, reminding them that the University of Nigeria has produced many outstanding individuals across various fields.

He also recounted how, as governor, he mobilized professionals to build a teaching hospital in Awka within 18 months, just as the Law Faculty at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University was completed in just six months under his administration.

He stressed that health is a fundamental component of education that must not be neglected.

“We cannot continue like this; things must change. Our children should not be subjected to these conditions", he stated.

Earlier, Obi was conducted around the faculty’s dilapidated facilities, including the Phantom Head Lab, Prosthetic Lab, and the Lecture Theatre.

The chairman of the fundraising committee for the re-accreditation of the faculty, Mr. Boston Chukwuemeka, noted that the faculty currently has only nine phantom heads and dental chairs but needs at least fifty to meet accreditation standards.

He disclosed that a total of ₦38 million is required to upgrade the necessary equipment and infrastructure.

Chukwuemeka also appealed for an increased admission quota, from the current fifteen students to at least fifty, arguing that such expansion would only be feasible with improved laboratory facilities.

The president of the Dental Students Association, Mr. Daniel Ogba, expressed deep appreciation to Obi for his intervention, describing him as a mentor and father figure to the students.