Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has redeemed the pledge of N62.5m he made to the Diocese on the Niger, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The Bishop on the Niger, the Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo, said this on Sunday during the First Session of the 29th Synod of the Diocese on the Niger at St. Thomas Church, Oraukwu.
Nwokolo said the pledge was undertaken by Anyaoku and his wife, Bunmi, during the celebration of Anyaoku’s 80th birthday, marking the 50th anniversary of his marriage to Bunmi.
He said the pledge was a commitment to the diocese for the establishment of a Dialysis and Diagnostic Center at Iyi-Enu Mission Hospital, estimated to cost over N500m.
Anyaoku had during the celebrations requested his friends not to place any advertorial to congratulate him. Rather, he said they should channel the advertorial money into a dedicated account for Iyi-Enu Hospital, established in 1907 in his birth place.
They did just that and the sum of N62.5m was realised.
Nwokolo commended Anyaoku and wife, Bunmi for their magnanimity to the church.
He said the church would seek advice on how to procure the best diagnostic and dialysis equipment, adding that somebody on behalf of Anyaoku had promised to donate some medical equipment already.