By Frank Ulom
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has donated N20 million to the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Calabar (UNICAL).
Converseer reports that Obi made this on Friday, 25th July 2025, while addressing the embattled students at the university campus, Calabar, Cross River State capital.
In his address, Obi recalled how a similar situation is being faced by students across the nation and how he managed to help them out.
He said the letter from one of the affected students stated that they needed 16 dental chairs, costing about 1.5 to 2 million naira, but after an enquiry, he realised a chair costs more than that.
“The person who wrote the letter said it’s between 1.5 and 2 million, you know, naturally, twice that because I made the enquiry myself. I went to somebody who supplies, and he said it’s about 3- 4 million naira. So I said, okay, you’re looking for 16. Even if I buy two, even if I buy four, even if I buy, whatever I can buy, I’m now going to create an awareness for other people to understand me. You need it.
“When we create awareness, I’ll speak to the VC after this and everybody to show that we have awareness that these chairs will be provided because you need them for your education. I want to start mine with an initial presentation. I am presenting a check of 20 million naira for the Faculty of Dentistry, so that you can all go back to school,” Obi stated.
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He further stressed that education is the most critical aspect of development, noting that Nigeria is rich enough to provide quality education and life to everyone.
“Education is the most critical measure of development, so we need to invest in it. I’m here because investing in you is critical for the development of our nation.
“Nigeria is not a poor country, it is only the government, and that’s what we want to change. Nothing else. We’re not asking for anything, just change.
“So, whatever you’re going through,
mind is to create the awareness, and that awareness is to start by giving you whatever token I will give you,” he added.
Recall that about 300 students stand to lose graduation from the faculty based on the requirements from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which allotted the University only 10 quotas per session.
In her address to the press on 14th July, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University, Prof. Florence Obi, said the council is demanding 42 dental chairs to increase their quota, but they only have 26 and need 16.
Prof. Obi said the available option at the time of the press briefing was to transfer some of the students, from 400, 500 and 600 levels, to other institutions across the nation. A decision that students and parents have disagreed with.
Currently, 31 students have finished their programme but only 10 are to be inducted.
The affected students also took their cry to the Federal House of Representatives Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution. One of them wrote Peter Obi a letter, which led to his intervention.
Converseer further reports that on 18th July, Peter Obi donated N15 million to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Dentistry Faculty to resolve a similar issue.
Yesterday, 24th July, he also donated N50 million in collaboration with some fellow Old Boys to support his alma mater, Christ the King College (CKC), Onitsha, Anambra State.
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