There was a galore of jubilation at the host communities of Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa as some selected youths and women of the area got business empowerment items from Seplat Energy. Seplat Energy has oil wells at Adapalm. The company is housed by 10 communities that make up Adapalm. They are the core beneficiaries of the largesse which was a mile stone. To an extent, those who got the items will be liberated from poverty and suffering if they judiciously and efficiently use the items.
The empowerment items include: freezers, generators, motorcycles, grinding machines, complete barbing equipment, complete hairdressing equipment and complete aluminium profile equipment among others.
The program which was tagged: “2022 Business Empowerment Project for Ohaji South Field Host Communities” as organized by Seplat Energy and held at the Fullmoon Hotel Owerri last week, was graced by many stakeholders of the areas including former Transition Committee Chairman of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Council and Chairman of Joint Committee Adapalm, Hon. Gideon Meffor, Chairman, Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa Adapalm Landlord, Chief Kyrian Ojiaku, Chairman of Community Engagement Management Board, Seplat Energy, Professor Kyrian Nwano, traditional rulers, community leaders and some selected staff of Seplat Energy.
Speaking to News Echo, one of the organizers of the program who happens to be the Chairman of Community Engagement Management Board representing host communities in Seplat Energy, Professor Kyrian Nwano, noted that those who benefited from the empowerment program are youths and women who are from the ten communities that host Seplat in Adapalm, saying Adapalm is housed by Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa.
Professor Kyrian Nwano hinted that “Seplat had empowered primary and secondary school pupils across the ten host communities previously. Today, being 10th of June, 2022, we are empowering the youth and the women of Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa. Every year we do one or two empowerment to engage the people on production aimed at beating poverty, crime, vulnerability and insecurity, as well as encourage development of the areas”.
Nwano advised the beneficiaries of the empowerment to “use the items for the purpose they are made for- not to sell them- because after two, three or four months we are going to check round to see whether the items are still intact. Any person who sells his or her own or gives them away we will try to do something funny which they will not like. So, we advise them not to sell or give away any of those items. They should use them to enhance their businesses so that the community will be good for it”.
Calling on the host communities of Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa to continue to support Seplat Energy in its activities aimed at creating admissible avenues for empowerment, employment and development of the areas, Nwano thanked the oil company for the rich empowerment, urging it to do more for the people to reduce poverty, suffering and insecurity.
Commenting, former Transition Committee Chairman of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and Chairman of Joint Committee of Adapalm, Hon. Gideon Meffor, stated that the empowerment was quite huge and encouraging as it would go a long way to cushion poverty for those who benefited from the gesture and in extension to their families and relatives.
Meffor said “as a viable stakeholder at the area, I would always encourage and support every activity that can impact positively on the people especially youths and women. Hence, I appreciate Seplat Energy for all the goodies it has been doing for the host communities and I charge it to do more for the people particularly on infrastructures such as electricity, good road network, portable water, healthcare, good market environment, including scholarships to graduates, undergraduates, home and overseas, bursary payments to all indigenes whether young or old to lift the people from poverty and vulnerability and thereby reducing crime and insecurity. I also charge other oil companies operating in Ohaji Egbema and Oguta to follow suit in the development drive of the government in Imo State. Those who got the items should use them well to better their lives more. The empowerment was a great feat indeed, kudos”.
Lending his voice, Chairman, Ohaji, Egbema and Agwa Adapalm Landlord, Chief Kyrian Ojiaku, posited that Seplat Energy has done well in empowering the people, urging other oil companies resident at the areas to emulate Seplat to positively engage the people in order to strengthen peace, prosperity, comfort, security and development therein.
Ojiaku who pointed out that Seplat is the only oil producing company at the areas who mostly take the needs of the host communities to heart by doing periodic empowerment and other developmental things from which the people benefit immensely, commended Seplat for the largesse, stressing that “next time, Seplat should look inwards to reaching out to those who are in dire need of financial assistance so that its gesture would go round to the people.
Therefore, Ojiaku enjoined the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously in order to become useful to themselves, families, as well as help others to also grow productively, prosperously and financially for the good and progress of the area.
