Tejiri Ebikeme
Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited (A Chevron Company) and its partners in the Agbami field have been commended for their efforts towards supporting the development of the education sector in Nigeria through the donation of essential equipment to tertiary institutions around Nigeria and other educational support programmes.
The Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha gave the commendation in Oleh, Delta State on Friday November 15, 2013, during the donation of some equipment by the Agbami partners to the Faculty of Engineering, Delta State University (DELSU) Oleh campus. The equipment include: Rheometer, Supra-22 KR High; Fann K 1Ter Press Assembly and Digital Microscope DM-25. Others were Mud Balance, Digital Viscometer, Automatic Cleveland, Open Cup Flashpoint Tester BCO-T901 and Permearmeter (Chromatographic) Column Filtered with a DISC.
Represented by Mrs. Stella Itoko, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, the commissioner thanked the Agbami partners for the donation of the equipment to the institution emphasizing that education was the bedrock of the development of any nation without which no sector of the economy can be sustained.
He stated that the gesture was a welcome development in the pursuit of higher standard of education in the country adding that once education collapses the nation as a whole was bound to collapse and the society will remain underdeveloped. He noted that the State government looks forward to partnership with different organizations to develop the education sector adding that the gesture by the Agbami Partners was a testimony of their commitment to Corporate Responsibility which other organization should emulate in order to positively impact teaching and learning in the schools.
In their own remarks, both Provost of the Oleh Campus of the university, Professor Chinedum Mordi, and the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Prof Philip Kuale appreciated Star Deepwater and the Agbami partners for the donation, and for sustaining the Facility Engineering Human Capacity Development Initiative (FUHCADI) which has contributed immensely to the development of the Engineering students. They noted that the donation was well-timed as it was coming at a time that the Institution needs such equipment to prepare for the accreditation of the Engineering department by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
The Director Star Deepwater, Mr. Jeffrey Ewing represented by Mr. Tunde Olorunnaiye (Onshore Construction Superintendent) noted that the donation was another indication of the partners’ determined efforts to improve the education sector in Nigeria as well as further the Facilities Engineering Human Capital Development Initiative (FUHCADI) by employees of Chevron Facility Engineering (FE) group who on regular basis voluntarily go to benefitting universities including DELSU to teach students engineering fundamentals in oil and gas industry.
He also stated that the Agbami partners have, over the years, demonstrated commitment to conducting their business here in Nigeria in a socially responsible manner, adding value to the lives of the people and contributing positively to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. While thanking the University governing council and the State Ministry of Education for their support in making the donation possible, he encouraged the students to make good use of the equipment.
Also present at the event were the Dean Law Faculty, DELSU Oleh Campus, Prof David F. Tom, Prof. M.O.U Gasiokwu (Faculty of Law), Dr. K.M. Oghenejoboli (HOD Chemical Engineering) and other Engineering faculty members. Chevron team at the event includes Mr. Tunde Olorunnaiye (Onshore Construction Superintendent); Dan Agbofode (Coordinator, OMoU, PGPA) and Victor Anyaegbudike (Senior Communications Rep, PGPA).
