Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2023 election, stated that the deterioration of health institutions in the country is a result of leadership failure. He made these remarks during an unannounced visit to the students of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Ituku-Ozala, Enugu State. Obi’s visit was prompted by a letter from the faculty’s re-accreditation fundraising committee requesting financial assistance for their re-accreditation efforts. After confirming the authenticity of the request with the institution’s authorities, Obi chose to visit in order to assess the situation firsthand. He assured the students that, alongside his personal contribution, he would reach out to other well-meaning individuals for additional support. During the visit, he presented a cheque of N15 million to the students through Boston Chukwuemeka (Jnr), the chairman of the fundraising committee, and Comrade Daniel Ogba, the president of the University of Nigeria Dental Students Association. While addressing the students, Obi reminisced about his time at UNN, recalling a visit by President Shehu Shagari to Nsukka. While there, Shagari engaged with the students, listening to their needs. It is you who require the university’s facilities, rather than the instructors. Teachers are your greatest allies. “First, I want to acknowledge your efforts in being here to learn despite the lack of proper resources and support. I had intended to visit sooner after receiving a message from one of you, but I had to postpone due to the mourning period for our president, Muhammadu Buhari, which concluded yesterday, Thursday, August 16th. I didn’t even inform the provost about my visit because I wanted it to be an informal trip to assess the current situation.” As a Lion and a former student of UNN, I don’t require permission to come back. I have attended some of the most prestigious universities globally. Obi, an alumnus of Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge, expressed his knowledge of a school lacking facilities and functionality. He noted that UNTH has produced many influential individuals impacting both nationally and globally, yet he criticized the institution’s significant deterioration. Emphasizing the importance of health in the human experience, Obi lamented that national leadership has failed to prioritize the health sector adequately. He cited the spending of N6 billion on constructing a parking lot for legislators at the National Assembly as an example of misplaced priorities.
