…Replies to the allegations made by ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE.
He who speaks the reality offers sincere proof, however a false witness utters deceit. — Proverbs 12:17 (RSVCE).
The occasions we reside in as we speak name for moments of fact in order that falsehood could not thrive. As Scripture reminds us, “You’ll know the reality, and the reality will make you free.” (cf. John 8:32). It’s on this spirit that we’re gathered right here as we speak to deal with the general public concerning the possession and funding of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, positioned throughout the premises of St. Philomena Catholic Hospital, Benin Metropolis.
This clarification has turn out to be crucial in response to deceptive statements made by His Excellency, Senator Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, CON, who was a former president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, former governor of Edo State, and former nationwide chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), and can also be the present senator representing Edo North Senatorial District.
Clarifying possession and funding of the Faculty of Nursing
Throughout a reside broadcast on Come up Information on July 26, 2025, Senator Oshiomhole unequivocally claimed that the Faculty of Nursing Sciences was “constructed, geared up, owned, and funded by the Edo State Authorities a hundred percent.” This inaccurate declare, which have to be corrected, adopted Mr. Peter Obi’s latest go to on 7 July, 2025, to the St. Philomena Catholic Hospital positioned on the common Dawson Street in Benin Metropolis, Edo State Capital, the place he donated ₦15,000,000 (fifteen million naira solely) for the event of the school to enhance the training setting.
It’s crucial to state that the declare by Senator Oshiomhole that the school is “a government-owned facility” is fully false and must be disregarded. St. Philomena Catholic Hospital and its academic establishments, particularly the Faculty of Midwifery and Faculty of Nursing Sciences, are owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin Metropolis and constructed, geared up, and funded by the Archdiocese and sort donations from benefactors like Mr. Peter Obi, amongst many others.
A legacy of service, not politics
St. Philomena Catholic Hospital was based in 1947 by Catholic missionaries as a part of the Church’s apostolic mandate to heal, educate, and uphold the dignity of the human particular person, particularly the poor and the weak. It has served faithfully with out discrimination primarily based on faith, ethnicity, or political affiliation. Since its institution, the establishment has been sustained via the sacrificial giving of the Church, the labour of clergymen and non secular sisters, the goodwill of donors, and modest service expenses. It doesn’t get pleasure from any governmental subvention or state budgetary allocation as claimed by Senator Oshiomhole.
This seems to be a case of political revisionism that sacrifices information for distortion. To counsel {that a} church-owned facility is ‘government-owned’ and ‘government-funded,’ merely to downplay a charitable act by a political opponent, will not be solely unethical but in addition profoundly damaging. I urge all residents to critically consider public statements and demand accountability for the knowledge disseminated within the public area.
The church’s function in healthcare: A canonical reminder
The Catholic Church’s dedication to healthcare will not be optionally available or circumstantial; it’s a canonical, theological, and ethical obligation. “The Church … offers support to each human being who suffers and strives to deliver therapeutic to the world not merely via phrases however by concrete acts of service.”
Rev. Fr. Jude Orah is the Director of Social Communications and Press of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin Metropolis, Edo State.
