Mobil, NNPC give professional groups N50m in Akwa Ibom
NAN-H-104
Donations
Eket (Akwa Ibom), Feb. 24, 2017 (NAN) Mobil Producing Nigeria /Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (MPN/NNPC), Joint Venture on Friday presented N50 million cheques to Professional Bodies and Community-based Orgainisation in the state.
Mr Tom Benjaminsen, the General Manager, Joint Venture Operations, MPN , presented the cheques to beneficiary organisations during Donation Presentation Ceremony at Eden Hotels, Marina in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Benjaminsen said the donations were to assist the organisations implement their various life-touching projects, programmes and activities aimed at specific development and empowerment initiatives in the communities.
“These donations represent an aspect of our social investment contributions to arts and skills development, empowerment and promotion of community livelihood.
“We believe it will help sustain and foster partnership with our key stakeholders and our neighbouring community, the media, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations, and youth bodies,’’ Benjaminsen said.
He also said that 12 community-based and professional bodies benefitted from the donations in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the beneficiary organisations that got cheques of various amounts included the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), Akwa Ibom Council (N6m); Arts and Skills Development Initiative, Eket (N7m).
Others were Providence Home, Uyo (N1m); Ibom Premium (Framers) Multi-Purpose Society, Esit Eket (N4m); Ibeno Youth Presidents’ Forum (N3.5m); Onna Youth Council (N3m) and the International Friends Multi-purpose Co-operative Society, Onna (N3m);
The rest were “Ulok Ulok Peoples’Assembly, Ibeno (N3.5m); Light Bearers Organisation, Eket (N6.990) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria,(CIPMN) Akwa Ibom Branch (N600,000).
Also on the list were “Community Partners for Development, Uyo (N5.99m) and Pillars Forum Uyo Multipurpose Co-operative Society (N6.5m).”
Benjamisem said the joint venture also donated N23million to eight motherless and destitute people homes to support the upkeep of orphans and persons with disabilities in the state last year.
He said that the donations and other social investment were in furtherance of the Joint Venture’s contribution to the development of the state.
In her remarks, Mrs Regina Udobong, Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Joint Venture Operations, said that the donation represented an aspect of the company’s social investment effort.
She said the gesture focussed on the arts and skill development, human capacity empowerment and the promotion of community livelihood.
According to Udobong, the donations were geared towards deepening our relationship and fostering partnership with our key stakeholders, government and the good people of the state.
“MPN has a long history of donations and sponsorship towards human capacity development and empowerment initiatives,’’ she said.
She commended the beneficiary organisations viable initiative to better the lives of the people through implementation of lofty programmes and projects.
Udobong advised the beneficiary organisations to judiciously utilise the money for the purpose intended.
Also speaking, Mr Onofiok Luke, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, commended ExxonMobil for her kind gesture and described the donation as “massive money rain in Eket”.
Luke, represented by Mrs Felicia Bassey, the Deputy Speaker , called on ExxonMobil to extend the donations to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District
He thanked the host communities for the peaceful environment for ExxonMobil to operate.
Responding of behalf of the beneficiary organisations, Mr Harry Moses, President of Ulok Ulok Peoples’ Assembly, Ibeno, expressed appreciation to ExxonMobil for her kind gesture and promised to use the money judiciously. (NAN)
SDB/DO Edited by David Onilede
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