The 2007 Graduate Trainees (GT27) of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG, a group of professionals working with the gas firm say contributing to the development of their company’s host community remains a give-back template for them after working in the area for 15 years.
Representative of the GT27, Mafa Attoye said this while presenting furnitures comprising 70 pieces of twin desks and chairs for the students, and 10 swivel/rolling chairs and 10 desks with drawers for the teachers donated by the group to Community Primary School, Abalamabie on Friday, November 18, 2022 at Abalamabie in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Expressing the gratitude of members of the GT27 to their employers, NLNG and hosts, Bonny LGA, Attoye informed that members of the GT27 became staff of NLNG on Wednesday, December 14, 2007 after graduating from the company’s graduate trainee programme, stressing that “the company has been very good to 27 of us”.
He said this informed their decision “to go around the community to check what we can do because it will be bad to clock 15 years without doing anything,” adding that “we decided to make chairs for the children with the help of some friends”.
Receiving the furniture donated to her school after they were commissioned by the Supervisor for Education, Bonny Local Government Council, Godswill Longjohn, the Head Teacher of Community Primary School, Abalamabie, Bonny, Charity Abbey expressed appreciation to the GT27 and their friends, noting that dearth of infrastructure has been a bane of the school but with this donation the teachers, pupils and their parents are excited and grateful.
In his remarks, NLNG’s General Manager, Production, Adeleye Falade, who is also the company’s Location Manager of its assets – gas liquefaction plant, export terminal and waterwells – in Bonny Island, commended the GT27 and their friends for the gesture, stating that “I’m grateful to be here to witness what’s going on today”.
“I thank the GT27 for doing this wonderful work without the company’s money. It’s the individuals who took money from their pockets to do this, and at (Finima) Nature Park, five students were awarded with scholarships.”
On his part, Chairman of the Bonny Kingdom Development Committee (BKDC), Amairigha Hart, who was represented by a member of the BKDC, Biekpo Chapp-Jumbo, thanked the GT27 and their friends for the kind gesture, noting that such initiative predicate don sacrifice was laudable as it has put smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries, the pupils of CPS Abalamabie.
“We thank God for a beautiful day today; for those who have thought it wise to dip hands in their pockets and make these pupils happy, using their hard-earned money to make the pupils happy, God will bless them. I pray that some of these pupils will tomorrow be on that same seat and will do as these people have done.”
In attendance at the event were other members of the GT27; member of BKDC, Christabel Frank-Hart; Community Engagement Officer, NLNG, Nelson Braide; and Secretary of the Bonny Youth Federation (BYF), Boma Halliday, amongst others.
The gesture of the GT27 and their friends is seen to be apt by stakeholders as it is in line with efforts at closing the infrastructural gaps in Bonny LGA which has several schools lacking in teaching aids and critical infrastructure.
Many of the schools in the riverine axis of the LGA suffer abject dearth of needed amenities and staff thus denying children in those areas access to Education.
Okwa ekasi? Mmekpahun adiya. They should allow the construction workers &:their Union NAPO to do their own & see what we shall give the community at the end of the Nigeria LNG Train 7 Gas Plant Construction Project.