By Cosmas Omegoh
Various tiers of health and educational institutions and an old people’s home in Rivers State were part of the beneficiaries of this year’s Oilserv Nigeria Ltd’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Week.
The benefiting institutions, it was learnt, are still ringing out their joy for receiving various packages the firm used to mark its chain of events.
Oilserve said it sprang from the ashes of the devastating COVID-19 to put smiles on the faces the establishments so as to encourage them to sustain their efforts at nation building.
According to the company’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Emeka Opah, the activities for this year were captured by the theme: “Together we are a better community,” which he noted “were designed to reach out to entities in our community in Port Harcourt.”
The CSR team led by Opah, kicked off its activities with a visit to Woji Primary Health Center, Woji, on Slaughter Road, in Port Harcourt.
He revealed that “at the health centre, the team presented various medical supplies: two filled oxygen cylinders, two nebuliser machines, cartons of hand sanitisers among other item. The items were received by Dr Mrs. Mimi Douglas Hart, who thanked the management and staff of the company for their gesture. She promised that the materials would be effectively used for the benefit of patients.”
The Oilserv train later headed for the Department of Orthopedics, University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt. “There,” Opah opined, “the team presented a 55-inch television, two split-unit air conditioners and gallons of sanitisers.”
At a short ceremony, Mr. Opah remarked that “the CSR Week and gifts were in keeping with the philanthropic vision of the Chairman of Oilserv Group, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa. He recounted some of Okwuosa’s philanthropic gestures to various health, educational and religious organisations and other efforts at giving amenities to various societies and soccour to the under-privileged persons.
Responding, Dr Harcourt Somiari, who received the items on behalf of the hospital, expressed joy and appreciation to Oilserv for remembering them
“The visit and gifts could not have come at a better time,” he remarked. He and his colleagues appreciated the chairman, management and staff of Oilserv for reaching out to their community.
Then he added: “But like Oliver Twist, we still hope for more next time your CSR train visists.”
The CSR team it was learnt, later visited one after the other, various schools in and around Woji community.
The schools include: Community Junior Secondary School, Woji, Community Primary Schools 1 and 2, Woji, Shiloh Hills School, Nembe Road, Rumuibekwe, Christian Primary School, Ogboroama Street, Woji and Archbishop Brown Education Centre, off Post Office Road, YKC, Woji. Others are Earlydays High School, Federal Housing Estate, Corundum Hills International Nursery and Primary Schools, Woji Housing Estate, Spirited Nursery and Primary School, Trans Woji and Jonice International Nursery and Primary school, Trans -Woji, Woji.
According to Opah, “we gave each of the schools five white marker boards, 200 branded exercise books, five packs of markers and five dusters.”
The principals, headmasters and proprietors/proprietresses expressed appreciation at the visits and the items, wishing that more could be done to improve their service delivery to their pupils and students.
Mrs Anulika Ndubuisi the proprietor of Spirited Nursery and Primary School, expressed her heart-felt appreciation for the visit.
“This is motivating and will remain indelible in the minds of our young pupils and students,” she said, while wishing the company the best in its endeavors.
Opah said his team thanked the teachers and students, and promised to present their demands to the management for further consideration.
He told our reporter that the CSR Week climaxed with a visit to the Home for the Elderly in the old Port Harcourt town. The establishment, according to him, was presented with food items, clothing materials, toiletries among other provision.
He recalled that Rev Sr Mary Jane Raphael Agubosi who is in charge of the facility expressed happiness with the team.
“You are like a gift from God, coming here at a time many of our benefactors have ceased coming,” she remarked, while recounting the home’s dire situation, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic that practically left it with nothing.
One of the inmates of the home, Mr Emmanuel Agu, who led a solemn, heart-touching prayer session, blessed Engr Okwuosa, for his good gesture. He also prayed for the Oilserv team and for all men and women to find love and care in their old age.
Opah described the week-long outing as a huge success saying: “It gave us the opportunity to feel the purse of our host community; we spoke with them, we heard them. We went with what we had, and identified more gaps.
“It provided insight into the state of schools, hospitals, and many amenities in the community we operate.
“One of the schools we visited for instance needed desks and chairs urgently. We took note of that, and we hope to meet that need going forward.”