In a strongly worded rebuttal delivered at a press conference on Wednesday, the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City has firmly denied claims by Senator Adams Oshiomhole that the St. Philomena College of Nursing is owned and funded by the Edo State Government. Addressing journalists at the Archdiocesan Department of Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Jude Orah, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese, described the Senator’s assertion, made during a live Arise News broadcast on July 26, as “entirely false and profoundly damaging.”
The controversy was sparked by comments from the former Governor and current Senator representing Edo North, who stated that the institution “was built, equipped, owned and funded by Edo State Government hundred per cent.” The remarks came shortly after former presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi visited the facility on July 7 and donated N15 million to support its development. Rev. Fr. Orah clarified that the College of Nursing Sciences, along with the School of Midwifery and St. Philomena Catholic Hospital itself, is wholly owned by the Catholic Archdiocese.
“These institutions are the fruit of the Church’s long-standing commitment to healthcare and education,” he said. “They have never received any subvention or budgetary allocation from the state government.” He accused Senator Oshiomhole of engaging in “political revisionism” and urged him to retract the statement. “To suggest that a Church-owned facility is government-funded, simply to downplay a charitable act by a political opponent, is not only unethical but deeply misleading,” he said. Founded in 1941 by Catholic missionaries, St. Philomena Hospital and its associated institutions have operated for over 75 years, offering services without regard to religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation. According to the Archdiocese, they are sustained by Church resources, donations from benefactors, and modest service charges—not public funds.
Fr. Orah called on Nigerians and the media to uphold truth and accountability in public discourse. “If there had been support from the government, we would not only acknowledge it, we would celebrate it,” he stated. “But misinformation is not support; and false attribution is not partnership.” The Director of Social communications added, “The Catholic Church’s commitment to healthcare is not optional or circumstantial; it is a canonical, theological, and a moral obligation. “The Church … gives aid to every human being who suffers, and strives to bring healing to the world not merely through words but by concrete acts of service” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 38). “This is what St. Philomena Catholic Hospital represents: a living ministry of healing and love, not a political facility in a government ledger.
“We respectfully invite our political leaders—especially those who have once led this State—to respect this legacy.” The Archdiocese’s call for a retraction underscores growing tensions over the politicisation of charitable and faith-based initiatives in Edo State. As the 2027 election season approaches, religious institutions appear increasingly wary of being drawn into partisan narratives. The Archdiocese emphasised that St. Philomena is “a house of healing, a school of mercy, and a sanctuary of hope—not a political facility in a government ledger.”
