Ikeakor was speaking over the weekend at the maiden convocation ceremony held at the College, wherein Obi was conferred with the Nightingale Award.

The cleric recalled how Obi, as the then Governor of Anambra State, visited the school for the first time.

He said: “Without Peter Obi’s support, we would not be where we are today. He came here to start the journey with us, when this whole environment was still covered by bushes. He supported us all the way, and by the time he was leaving office, his administration had committed nothing less than N100 million to our College.”

Ikeakor stated that Obi, though he no longer occupied any public office, still support them financially. He said that they would always appreciate Obi for the visible footprints he had made in the school.

In his remarks, Obi said the health sector of any nation played a critical role in its development. He recounted how, as the Governor of Anambra State, he was shocked to learn that the State had no accredited health institutions.

“That was a situation we could not accept. We cannot pursue development in primary healthcare delivery without a single School of Nursing Sciences or Midwifery. I recalled then that as a young student, I learned that the first nurse and midwife in the South East, was produced in Iyi Enu Specialist Hospital. I decided we were going to resuscitate the hospital. After several meetings with my executive team and stakeholders of the hospital, I handed the hospital management a cheque of N50 million. The rest is history!

“So I feel a great sense of satisfaction today as this College of Nursing graduates the first set of students. Those of us who know the story will understand, as the Bishop narrated, that where we are standing today was a thick bush. But with hard work and honest efforts, the college is telling a success story today,” Obi narrated.

Obi equally appreciated Bishop Ikeakor for doing what he described as commendable work in the school. He urged the government at different levels, to partner with the church in driving development to the grassroots, describing it as a more effective way of achieving integrated development.