Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has reflected on the goodwill gestures he undertakes each year to celebrate his birthday.
This development comes as the presidential candidate celebrated his 64th birthday on Friday. Obi sent his appreciation to well meaning nigerians who celebrated him while further revealing the lavish birthday offers he got.
In a post on his official X handle, Obi revealed how some nigerians wanted to celebrate him in a grand style by building house for him, organizing large parties and lots more. He however, pleaded with the individuals to redirect the funds towards education and the critical area of development of the country.
According to him, such act of giving back has being the way he celebrates his birthday.
His words,”From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely thank everyone for the outpouring of goodwill and birthday wishes I received worldwide. I remain deeply grateful to all who marked the day in one way or another, not to mention Nigerian youths, the Obidient family and the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, renowned for their apostolate to the poor.
READ MORE: Happy Birthday Peter Obi: Celebrating Africa’s Beacon of Integrity and Influence
“As for me, while I deeply appreciate the gestures of celebration, I must once again reiterate that I do not personally celebrate birthdays. I recall vividly when I turned 50, during my time as Governor. Many institutions and individuals approached me with elaborate plans for the occasion.
“One institution generously offered to build a house for me in the village. When I asked for the estimated cost, they said it would be ₦120 million. I humbly requested that the funds be redirected to build classrooms in three educational institutions at Agulu, Ekwulobia and Abatete. They obliged—and the impact was far-reaching.Another group had budgeted ₦20 million for a lavish party. I graciously asked them to consider using the funds to purchase desktop computers for schools.
,” Their eventual donation of 200 desktops was distributed to schools across the state, enhancing learning for many students.In a similar spirit of redirection, another organisation—whose intention had originally been to celebrate me—ended up donating buses, which we distributed to institutions in need, including one that went to the legendary Old Rangers Association.
“This has been my consistent approach over the years. On each birthday, I use the opportunity to redirect goodwill towards causes that uplift others.
“On my part, I have chosen this day to renew my personal commitment to continue supporting the institutions of state in the best way I can, especially those that directly serve the people,” he said.
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