…Performs Ground breaking Ceremony of Ekpan General Hospital Surgical Theater, Consultation Rooms Project

…Donates 60KVA Generating Set to Hospital

By Francis Said here Warri

The General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Relations, Chevron Nigeria limited (CNL), Mr. Deji Haastrup has assured its host communities across the country that it was committed to investing in projects that will add value to their lives.

Mr. Haastrup who represented Mr. Andrew Fawthrop, Chairman and Managing Director, CNL, gave this assurance recently at Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State during the ground breaking ceremony of the Ekpan General Hospital Surgical/Consultation room project donated by Chevron, operators of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company/Chevron Joint Venture.

According to Haastrup, the project, which was made possible with the support of the Ekpan Development Committee would improve the lives of the people and empower young Nigerians in the development of the country.

Haastrup also revealed that in addition to the surgical and consultation rooms projects, Chevron has also donated a 60KVA generating set to the Ekpan General Hospital to help solve its power problem

While thanking the Delta State Government, the traditional ruler and the people of the Ekpan community for making the ceremony a success, Haastrup said the project was in line with Chevrons effort to contribute to governments effort to raise the quality of health care of the people of Delta State.

He said, “At Chevron, we take our social corporate responsibility seriously. Everywhere we operate across the world, we always try our best to be a welcome member of the community. We try to forge partnership that supports economic social development of the people.

“Let me assure that the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture will continue to extend the frontier of our partnership in Ekpan community and the institutions in the state to support programs in our immediate environment.

“This project should improve the lives of the people and empower young Nigerians in the development of the country. In conclusion I wish to congratulate the people of Ekpan community for playing a crucial role in this important project. It is my hope that both the surgical room and the consultation rooms when completed will serve the best needs of the community.”

Also speaking at the ground breaking ceremony the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa appealed to youths in the community to provide the enabling environment of peace and ensure that the projects is completed in record time.

The Governor who was represented by the State commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge, said the state government was committed to partnering with corporate organization and other private individuals in its quest to ensuring prosperity for all Deltans.

He added that the state government takes health issues seriously and thanked Chevron for contributing and assisting the state government in ensuring that quality health care delivery was provided for the people.

Okowa also assured the people of the state that it has kick-started its health insurance policy in the entire 25 local government areas of the state, promising that the awareness that was currently going, will soon trickle down to everywhere in the state.

He thanked Chevron and NNPC for the Hospital project in Ekpan, saying the surgical theater and consultation rooms when completed will help in no small way in improving health care delivery to the people.

“This project when completed will reduce some of the challenges already being faced by the General Hospital, Ekpan. It will in no small way decongest the surgical services at Central Hospital, Warri and we give kudos to Chevron and NNPC.

“We also understand that at this difficult time when our nation is passing through difficulty of paucity of funds and scarcity of resources, this gesture would not have come at anytime better than this. The Delta State Governor, Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is happy for this project because it will help towards its smart agenda and his prosperity agenda for all Deltans,” the commissioner said.

He added, “Senator, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa through the collaboration of the Delta State Health Insurance Scheme intends to provide healthcare and health insurance to all Deltans so that every Deltan will have equal access to affordable and quality health care services.

“I wish to use this medium to appeal to the youths of this community, as promised by one of the traditional rulers of this community, to avoid the habit that will hamper the progress of the work, but corporate with the Ekpan Development Committee, especially the contractor, to ensure that the project is completed in a hitch free and peaceful environment.”

Continuing he said, “A peaceful environment is very necessary for the completion of this project. There are projects scattered around the nation and the state that has not come to fruition due to one reason or the other. But a peaceful environment is by no way very important in making this project come to fruition.

“This Chevron I know will continue to work with the community to make this project come to fruition and it will help to improve health care delivery in our community.

“I want to use this opportunity to assure you that the State Government is committed to collaborating with corporate bodies and Chevron, NNPC and others and also public spirited individual in ensuring a healthy Delta State through investment in health sector in line with its SMART agenda of this administration.”

The monarch of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel E. Sideso, Abe 1, while thanking Chevron in his brief remark during the occasion, appealed to Chevron not to leave the maintenance of the surgical theater and consultation room projects to the management of the hospital alone when the project is completed.

He assured Chevron that the crisis faced by the community was internal and that the community will solve the problems by themselves.

He however, appealed to Chevron to continue with its corporate social responsibility to the community despite the little crisis the community was facing at the moment, noting that the traditional council and the Ekpan people will continue to provide the enabling peaceful environment needed for development.

On his part the Acting Community head of Ekpan, Chief Barrister Victor Otomiewo, (the Onuevworo of Ekpan kingdom) commended Chevron for not taking advantage of the crisis to divert the project.

Otomiewo tasked Chevron to continue to demonstrate utmost good faith and candour in their social and business dealings with the Ekpan community.