A pro-democracy and socio-political organization, Peter Obi Support Network (POSN), has frowned at the comments by a respected Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Ejike Mbaka, on the 2023 presidential standard-bearer of Labour Party (LP), Dr Peter Obi.
Recall that Mbaka had on Wednesday described Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi as a ‘stingy man’, declaring that unless God ceases to exist, Obi would never smell the seat of the president.
The Reverend Father, however, apologises to the former governor of Anambra State and Nigerian youths on Friday over his unholy comment.
According to him, it was better to have an old man as president than a ‘stingy young man.
Reacting, the Support Group, in a press statement signed by the Director, Strategic Communication, Jones Fcc Onwusoanya, forwarded to AFRIPOST on Friday, expressed disappointment that Mbaka descended so low thereby pouring out his wrongly strewn sentiments and misconceptions about the character of the former Anambra state Governor.
The POSN reminded Mbaka that Obi is a prudent investor in human capital development and religious works as these were evident through his multimillion Naira investments across different Church parishes, schools, hospitals and individual interventions in setting up young entrepreneurs and innovators in different fields.
Words: “In line with the Biblical injunction that in Matthew 6:3, Mr. Peter Obi does not have the habit of advertising his philanthropic interventions, and does not wish to learn that, this time. In and out of government, Peter Obi has intervened in several humanitarian situations, within and outside the shores of Nigeria. Notably, he has donated to building and renovation of schools, hospitals, and other public infrastructure, without making noise about it. During the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, he mobilized over 200,000 Dollars in humanitarian aid through his personal donations and those of his friends to alleviate the situation in that country”.
The socio-political organization also reminded the catholic priest that it believed the actualization of Obi’s presidential bid can only be determined by God and majority of the Nigerian electorate as it respects the opinions of everyone or group of people who disagree or agree with positive faith towards the goal of making Peter Obi the next President of Nigeria.
The POSN further noted that Mbaka is one clergy who is highly passionate about Nigeria’s redemption and greatness and also look forward to working closely with him towards actualizing the shared dream of a working, equitable, free and productive country from 2023.
The group described the ex-governor as a kind and self-effacing human capital developer, and also added that Obi had thousands of employees across his business conglomerates whom he pays satisfactorily.
According to the POSN, “for years, Peter Obi has donated billions of Naira to schools; he gave 2 million and 1million each to about 20 schools in Nassarawa and Kogi for books and classroom desks when he was not contesting for election.
Peter Obi has gone as far as Sokoto State to support education and the current governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal can attest to Peter Obi’s multifarious human based philanthropy and educational development initiatives. In Benue, he has undertaken the renovation of schools without bringing the paparazzi along with him, because he believes that humanistic interventions shouldn’t be done for political advantage.
Borne out of his passion for humanitarian service, he began his refugee work long before he ever became the Governor of Anambra State. He has been to Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Haiti doing refugee work as his contribution to alleviating the plight of citizens of the crisis ravaged countries. When Haiti was almost wiped out by hurricane, he donated and coordinated his friends to raise about Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) to salvage the poor black Caribbean nation.
It continued, “His 100 Million Naira donation to Bishop Shanahan College in Enugu State is one of many such interventions in schools within and outside the Southeast.
As Peter Obi will always say, being in politics is not only about contesting and winning elections but finding ways to touch lives positively in or outside government. Peter Obi has so far visited over 150 schools, which included about 40 health institutions, across the federation. He has committed millions to social, educational and healthcare projects. Part of his pastimes is visiting hospitals quietly to defraud bills of indigent patients”.
The Support Group, therefore, sued for caution and urged numerous and teeming supporters of the Labour Party presidential Candidate to respect the revered clergy’s opinion and appreciate his right to hold such.