By Francis Sadhere, Warri
Chairman/Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, Jeffrey Ewing during the weekend said that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education remains the bedrock of technological development.
Ewing said this at the 2019 Awokoya Memorial Chemistry Competition and Award Ceremony for Secondary Schools held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun, near Warri, Delta State.
Ewing who was represented at the occasion by the Area Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Field Operations, CNL, Warri, said CNL felt proud each time people gather to celebrate students who have excelled in the competition.
He noted that over the years, NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture had shown great commitment to supporting quality education through its investment in education infrastructure, sponsorship of manpower development programmes and provision of scholarship.
The Chevron boss, reiterated the NNPC/CNL JV’s commitment to improving the quality of education in Nigeria stressing that education is important for the development of the country.
“We are also pleased that our contributions to education are helping to improve the ability of Nigeria to develop quality manpower in different fields including, but not limited to, the oil and gas industry,” Ewing said.
Ewing emphasized that Chevron was assured that with the support and commitment of the Delta State Ministry of Education, and the Chemical Society of Nigeria, the Awokoya Memorial Competition in Chemistry will continue to stimulate students interest in the study of Chemistry and other science and technology subjects.
He said, “Finally, apart from the fact that competitions such as these help in immortalizing the persons they are named after, they also help the students to develop their mental aptitude for personal development and thus add more value to the society.”
The Delta State Commissioner for education, Celestine Ukah who was represented by Sunday Egomagwuna, Director of Science Education in the ministry, commended NNPC/Chevron JV for supporting the competition over the years.
He revealed that the state government in its quest to providing quality education for its people, have employed one thousand teachers across the state.
While noting that the state government has also built and renovated more schools, Ukah tasked school principals in the state to remain committed in ensuring that their students get the best education.
He warned that any school principal caught in the act of truancy will be severely dealt with.
On his part, President of the Chemical Society of Nigeria, Prof. Sunday Okeniyi, commended the NNPC/CNL JV and the Delta State Ministry of Education for supporting the competition.
Okeniyi, who was represented by Jay Oghifor, said the competition has revitalize drive for excellence and propelled motivation for interest in the study of Chemistry among students in the country.
“The success of this competition is a pointer to the fact the fact that the Chemical Society of Nigeria has not lost focus. I want to appreciate NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture and the Delta State Ministry of Education for deeming it fit to organize this event to celebrate our children who have excelled,” Okeniyi said.
He also appealed to parents to encourage their children to engage in healthy competition saying that healthy competition was needed to galvanize the students to keep focused and also drive their innovation.
Earlier, the Chairman, Chemical Society of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter, Mrs. Tina Isichei, lamented the growing rate of advance free fraud, internet fraud and yahoo boys syndrome which seems to be “trending socially and financially.”
She said that no nation can rise above the value it places on education as education creates and add value to the society, stressing that there was a strong correlation between poverty, disease, insecurity and education.
“We cannot continue to rely on the West to help us solve our problems as a nation and as a continent, we must use education to provide custom made solutions to the myriads of challenges facing us as a nation and a continent.
“So I conclude that no man, no family, no nation, no people who want to advance in the age we are will relegate education and say, ‘who school epp.’ School helped in the past, school is helping now and school will help in the future. School will always help,” she said.
Akpeti Trust from Delta Careers College, Ugboroke, took the first position in the competition while Ifeanyi Dumkelechi from Peneil Academy, Agboh, and Oboh Victory from Lord’s and Kings Academy, Warri took the second and third position respectively.
