Former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has applauded Evangelist Ebuka Obi for commissioning the Seraphic Psychiatric and Elderly Home in Aguleri, Anambra State.
Obi, who revealed that he first met Evangelist Obi at the Lagos Airport before visiting the facility, described the project as a noble initiative that reflects compassion and a deep commitment to serving humanity.
Highlighting the importance of the new centre, the former governor cited a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report indicating that over 20 million Nigerians live with mental health challenges caused by economic hardship and stress. He stressed the urgent need for increased investment in mental health care, recalling how his administration built and equipped modern facilities at the Nawfia Psychiatric Hospital during his tenure.
Obi dismissed the misconception that psychiatric institutions stigmatise communities, explaining that such investments are critical for societies that genuinely care for their people. He also expressed concern over the rising menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, suggesting that secondary school students undertake educational excursions to psychiatric hospitals to better understand the dangers of substance abuse.
On the elderly care component of the project, Obi hailed it as a restoration of dignity and respect to senior citizens who are often neglected, noting that caring for the aged is not merely charity but a moral duty and true measure of societal humanity.
While thanking Evangelist Obi for his unwavering commitment to improving lives and promoting a better Nigeria, Obi called on government and private stakeholders to give greater attention to mental health and elderly care across the country.
