Japa: Don’t Stop Nurses Traveling for Greener Pastures, Obi Tells Nursing Council

•Donates N70m to Shanahan Varsity, College of Nursing, Midwifery

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has advised that nurses and other professionals travelling overseas for greener pastures should not be stopped.

Obi stated this while making a donation of N20million to St Charles Borromeo College of Nursing and midwifery in Onitsha on Monday. He also donated N50million to Shanahan University, an institution owned by Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha.

Obi, who donated N10million each to both the midwifery and nursing departments, said education and health were the currencies with which people would transact in the future.

While noting that he didn’t believe in brain drain, he added that Nigeria has over 200 million people, and that there was no need to restrict people from travelling out of the country for greener pastures.

Rather, he said Nigeria should concentrate on training more people, adding that foreign remittances could be a form of revenue for the country.

Obi told students of the college that, “What we are doing (donation) is not charity, we are rather investing in you. We need to invest in knowledge and health because it is the future.

“Investing in you will ensure your greatness. Your profession is lucrative, you’re being looked for all over the world. I told Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria that they should stop denying anybody from leaving Nigeria for greener pastures.

“We have 200 million people, let us educate them. Let those who want go out to go and those who want to stay should stay. Diaspora remittance is also a form of revenue generation.

“If you see me going round trying to donate, it is not anything but because we want to make life better for you all. I came here so I can donate to you.

“My children will not attend that university (Shanahan University), and I can sit down and use the money to add more chieftaincy to my name, but that is not be how to develop the future.

“I will be in college of nursing Anyingba tomorrow, they need my assistance to get accreditation and I will be there to support them, so that they can get.”

Earlier, Obi attended a holy mass conducted in honour of the opening ceremony of Shanahan University, at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity, Onitsha, where he eulogised Archbishop of Onitsha Catholic Diocese, Valerian Okeke for the establishment of the university.

He said, “What shows greatness is those who think about tomorrow. The Bishop is thinking of tomorrow. By establishing this university, you have shown yourself as someone who is desirous of building a better tomorrow.”