- Donates palliatives to Rivers host community
The Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) has decried the falling crude oil prices at the international market due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It said it Is struggling to survive, but would not abandon its responsibilities to its stakeholders.
The oil giant donated food items worth millions of naira to its host communities of OML58 in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The food items comprising 800 bags of rice, 6000 tubers of yam and 3,050 cartons of noodles were handed over by TEPNG to the King of Egiland, Prof. Anele Nwokoma, and President General of Egi People’s Assembly, Magnus Elemele.
Total’s Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs and Communication, Mr. Onyekachi Omenuko, assured the communities that the company would continue to support them at all times.
He said that the palliatives would have been more, but that the company was currently struggling to survive following declining global oil prices.
He appealed to the people to obey all precautionary measures against COVID19 to stop its spread.
He said: “I am happy to be here, for two major reasons. Total has always identified with the people of Egi. Total is part of Egi, we were here during the flood disaster as well as during the security crisis. Now we are here again for COVID19.
“Eze Egi as a father, requested these palliatives, and as a son, we could not have declined his request. Total must support our people, no matter how difficult the situation.”
Total’s Manager, Community Affairs PHC & Offshore Communities, Okechukwu Obara, said the company made the donation in good faith and to show it understood the difficult period.
“It is a gesture to say that we understand that things are difficult, but let us show good faith in this difficult times so that when things are good we can always come back to say, even in the bad times, we were able to show our good faith.
“So, it is on that note that we are handing over these palliatives to the people of Egi.”
Prof. Nwokoma commended the management of Total for the palliative, in spite of the difficult times, and appealed to the people to share the food items without rancour.
Elemele expressed gratitude to TEPNG for the palliatives.