By Our Correspondent
Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, a company owned by Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and its Co-venturers in Agbami Field on Tuesday November 22, commissioned a Hybrid Library in Central Epie Community Secondary School, Opolo, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State,
Speaking at the commissioning and hand-over ceremony in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital, the director, Deepwater and Production Sharing Contracts, Mr Jeffrey Ewing said that the provision of hybrid library facilities is one of the programs in the Company’s Social Investment plan aimed at improving the reading, research and information technology culture amongst students.
Mr. Ewing who was represented by Mr. Michael Kabi said; “Aside this hybrid library project, Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited and its Co-venturers have executed other social investment projects in Bayelsa State. This includes the construction and equipping of a medical science laboratory in Niger Delta University, Amassoma, construction and equipping of a functional tuberculosis diagnostic chest clinic centre at Igbogene.
The Co-Venturers support the view that education is the key to unlocking the potential of the youth and developing their capacity for societal relevance. This is one of the reasons why the company is committed to promoting quality education in partnership with the government and other stakeholders. The drive behind our education support is to improve access to education for all Nigerians through the donations of hybrid libraries, science laboratory complexes and Scholarships”
According to him also ;”Partnership is one of the core values of the Agbami Co-Ventures and we are happy to have partnered with the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education and the management of Opolo Community Secondary School to execute the project. I thank the school board and the Old Students Association for collaborating with us to ensure the successful completion of the project. The partnership between all the stakeholders in the implementation of the project reminds us of the saying ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’.”
“Since the award of the Agbami project in 2004, Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited together with its Co-Venturers, has consistently made it a point of duty to develop the capacity of Nigerians in the oil and gas industry to ensure maximum positive impact on Nigeria’s economy. These deliberate efforts have resulted in employment generation, capacity building, increased participation of local contractors in the design and fabrication of facilities for these projects.
The Agbami Field is located approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) offshore Nigeria. However, in line with the Deep Offshore Community Affairs Group (DOCAG) engagement principles, we view the entire country as the Agbami community”, he stated.
Mr Ewing added that;”Consequently, we ensure that the intervention by the group, especially in the areas of education and health is spread throughout Nigeria, so as to add value nationwide. Apart from the hybrid library being commissioned today, we still have several projects across the country either on-going or completed. The projects, mainly Libraries, Chest clinics and Science Laboratories constitute an aspect of the strategic intervention plan of the Agbami Co-Venturers in ensuring better life for Nigerians.
The partners have also instituted specialized educational scholarship programmes in support of manpower development in Nigeria, through targeted scholarship support for medical, nursing, laboratory sciences and engineering students. Since the inception of the Agbami Scholarship scheme in 2009, more than 15, 000 students in various universities in the country have benefited from the programme. Of these scholars, 122 have graduated with First Class honors or its equivalent. A total of 595 Bayelsa State students have benefitted from this scholarship scheme between 2009 and 2015.”
He disclosed that;”We also constructed and equipped a science laboratory complex at Government Secondary School, Amarata and have regularly coordinated the provision of NYSC science teachers to all the 8 Keffes community secondary schools under our Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathermatics(STEM) program, to enhance the study of science subjects. It is noteworthy that 65% of the total number of students in the supported schools that registered for Chemistry, Biology and Physics in 2014 West African Examination Council (WAEC) scored credit and above in these subjects. The national average performance for same year was 31%.”
“Today’s donation is another demonstration of the Co-Venturers’ determined efforts to provide young Nigerians access to qualitative education. I therefore encourage our recipients to effectively manage the facility to ensure its sustainability”, he said.
The Group General Manager, of National Petroleum Investment Scheme, (NAPIMS), Mr. Dafe Sejebor who was represented by Mrs. Mema Ogor, in his address said that;” I am delighted to be a part of the handover of this hybrid library project executed by the NNPC and its Agbami Co-venturers. The initiative is another testimony of our tradition of care by the Agbami co-ventures, including the NNPC, for the social development of our country.
The commissioning of this project at this time is auspicious considering the need to support government’s efforts in educational development. Thus, NAPIMS with its co-ventures is committed to boosting educational development in Bayelsa State and other parts of Nigeria.
“At the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) – an upstream arm of the NNPC, we have the responsibility of managing the investments of the Federal Government in the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industry to ensure a good Return on Invested Capital”, he said.
The NAPIMS boss added that;”The project we are about to commission is borne out of a deliberate effort by the NNPC and its co-ventures to intervene in human capacity development– a critical sector of the economy. The effort is geared towards achieving government MDGs to augment the Federal Government’s effort in that regard.
In the same vein, the NNPC along with the Agbami co-ventures have also donated chest clinics, science laboratories, and promoted awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases in several communities across the six geo-political zones in the country. Medications are also made available to people of such communities”.
“In addition, Agbami Medical and Engineering Professional Scholarship instituted by the co-ventures have been providing great support for manpower development in Nigeria.
The hybrid library is a fruit of partnership. This is a very good way of working because Government cannot solve all the nation’s problems alone. I applaud this achievement by the Agbami co-venturers and their collaborators on this project; and encourage even more of such collaborations in the future.I encourage every one of us to make judicious use of this facility for our benefit”.
The Chairman, Famfa Oil Limited, Mrs. Modupe Alakija who was represented by Mr. Obinna Iheonu in her speech said that;” In line with our corporate vision, Famfa is happy to join other stakeholders to provide the hybrid library we are commissioning today. The advancement of the education sector holds special attraction for the Agbami Co-ventures. That is why we are pleased to be at this ceremony.
Qualitative education as well as capacity building is the key to the development of any country and the precursor in most cases to improved standard of the living. It is on that premises Famfa is working with other Co-venturers in the Agbami Field to develop technical skills of Nigerians, create employment and ensure better life for our people”.
She also said;”We have been fulfilling our Social Responsibility role to Nigeria through the implementation of beneficial projects in various parts of the country. We have continued to implement several projects aimed at improving access to quality education and healthcare across the country.
Very significant among these projects is the hybrid libraries we have been constructing and donating to schools across the country to help raise the standard of education. We have also been donating chest clinics to hospitals and science laboratories to schools across Nigeria.”
The General Manager of PETROBRAS represented by Mrs. Meg Irozuru, quipped that they aligned themselves with Co-venturers so that Nigerians have access to technical skills, quality education and employment opportunities, noted that E-learning is technology driven, the fastest growing platform for teaching and learning globally, holds the key to the country’s development.
The General Manager of STATOIL represented by Mrs. Nkechi Ezenwa, noted that education is their Corporate Social Responsibility and they are committed to ensuring qualitative education in Nigeria through specialized educational scholarship programmes, to support healthcare and manpower development through targeted support for medical and engineering students.
Also speaking, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Deacon Markson Fefegha, while commending Chevron and its Co-venturers for the Hybrid Library, noted that there are not many libraries available in the country and appealed for the provision of more libraries across the country stating that it affects teaching and learning.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. (Mrs.) Alice Atuwo, charged the School’s management as well as the teachers and students to put the library to good and proper use, asked them to send across a teacher that will be trained in the State Library to become a librarian, noted that their demand for dependable security will be relayed to the Commissioner of Education.
Speaking earlier, the Principal of Central Epie Secondary School, Opolo, Yenagoa, Chief Matthias K. Banigo while lauding Chevron and Co-venturers for the donated library, requested that the Commissioner of Education should provide a dependable security for the school so that the library facility is safe, added that the school is in dire need of proper flooring as the swampy water-log area cause the teachers and students to sustain serious injuries when they fall, quipped that there is a need for proper fencing of the school compound for better control of the students and whoever comes or go out of the school.
In his address, the Senior Prefect of the school, Master Joshua Stanley while thanking his benefactors, appealed to the Commissioner for Education for what he termed ‘‘ vital facilities’’ such as school field, fencing of the school, renovation of the dilapidated class rooms and construction of a school hall.
