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| Students of Girls High School, Ikot Ibiok, Eket Local Govt. Area with their Principal & members of Inoyo Toro Foundation & Seven Energy during Environmental Awareness Exercise in the school ...recently |
A renounced Education Foundation Inoyo Toro Foundation has partnered with Seven Energy to take the message of Environmental Awareness project to secondary schools across the state.
The Foundation in partnership with Seven Energy told newsmen that the exercise became necessary in view of the misconception and lack of environmental awareness among the youthful population. They said that to create this awareness in the minds of the people, the Foundation has sought and gotten the approval of Seven Energy for a partnership in this area.
The Leadership of Inoyo Toro Foundation hinted that the Foundation had also applied to and obtained the approval of the Ministry of Education to execute this project. The Foundation has so far visited seven schools and has accordingly established an Environmental Awareness club in them.
The Foundation first of all visited Girls High School, Ikot Ibiok in Eket Local Government Area where they spoke on the reasons behind the visitation. The need for students to be vigilante and report all suspicious activities to higher authorities.
Students were also informed on how to detect a gas pipeline and precautions to apply when passing through where such facility is located.
Addressing the students, Mrs. Imo Bassey of Inoyo Toro Foundation said “we all have a part to play in keeping and protecting our environment”. She explained to the students that safety is a cardinal point in life and that students owe themselves, parents/guardians and God a duty to remain safe at all times. She said that in all things done by the students, they should always seek to be safe first. She also explained that the safety and environmental awareness project embarked upon by the Foundation and Seven Energy will inculcate in the students several proactive and innovative projects aimed at educating them on the dangers and impact of pipeline vandalism especially to the environment.
Mrs. Imo Bassey explained that the Environmental watch clubs will provide students the opportunity to learn firsthand about environmental protection, public safety and the need to protect critical oil and gas industry infrastructure.
Also speaking, Mr. Idorenyin Mbang of Inoyo Toro Foundation tasked the students on total compliance with the security and safety tips that would have been impacted on them. Mbang explained to the students that the importance of this Environmental Awareness Project cannot be overemphasized. He urged them to utilize the knowledge they will garner from this exercise effectively.
Mbang said, this project will help students acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its problems. He said also that this will help students acquire a basic understanding of how the environment functions, how people interact with the environment and how issues and problems dealing with the environment arise and how they can be resolved.
Speaking further, he explained that this initiative will shape the attitudes of the students which will in turn help them acquire as set of values and feelings of concern for the Environment and the motivation and commitment to participate in environmental maintenance and improvement.
Mbang explained further that this project will allow the students acquire the skills needed to identify, investigate and contribute to the resolution of environmental issues and problems and maintained also that this will allow for students’ participation as they will be using their acquired knowledge and skills in taking thoughtful, positive action towards the resolution of environmental issues and problems. He tasked the students to share the acquired knowledge with their friends and parents/guardians.
Also speaking to the students, Mr. Roland Esin the representative of Seven Energy took time to explain to the students what Seven Energy is all about, their feat and operations.
Esin said Seven Energy is the leading integrated gas company in South East Nigeria with oil and gas interest in the region. He explained that the Company have developed and operated a gas processing and transportation infrastructure network at a cost of over 1billion dollars with a 200 million standard cubic feet per day.
He explained that Seven Energy Central Processing Facility (CPF) in Esit Eket and Gas Receiving Facility (GRF) in Ikot Abasi are the sole sources of the gas that is used by the Ibom Power Plant (IPC) for power generation.
Esin informed the students that Seven Energy’s drive to supply energy to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria ensures that the Company supports economic development and help to improve the quality of lives of millions of people. He said the gas company contributes to the provision of jobs, investments, infrastructure and generate revenue for government and local communities.
Seven Energy’s representative spoke on environmental challenges facing the community and why there is a focus on environmental protection and pipeline safety.
Esin told the students the story of a gas pipeline explosion that rocked Oboetim, Nsit Ibom LGA and further explained the responses Seven Energy applied to restore normalcy even as he hinted that investigations into that explosion had indicated traces of devices used to detonate explosives.
In his message to the students, he said, “On July 24, 2016, at about 11.34pm, the valve station on Seven Energy EHGC pipeline at Oboetim, Nsit Ibom LGA was vandalized by militants. The vandalism resulted in an explosion which ripped out a sizeable section of the pipeline including the concrete valve pit. The immediate surrounding area was gutted by gas that razed vegetation within 150m radius.”
Esin added that no person was injured even as he added that the incidence occurred very close to a secondary school.
This story however attracted so many questions from students. One of which was questions bothering on emergency risk management and what Seven Energy did in the case of Oboetim incident. Responding in the case of Oboetim, Esin explained that the Asset Protection and CSR team visited the site and met with inferno from the gas as soon as they were notified of the incidence. He said fire fighters, members of the community and relevant security agencies were also contacted and they provided support. And concluded that the pipeline was positively isolated and secured at bout 8pm on July 24th, 2016.
Students asked questions and got well informed answers from the trio of Roland Esin, Idorenyin Mbang and Mrs. Imo Bassey.
The team also visited Community Secondary School, Ikot Ebiene, Onna LGA, Community Secondary School, Odoroatan in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Edo Secondary School, Edo, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Community Secondary School, Idung Uko in Udung Uko LGA, Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron Town, Oron Local Government Area and Ubodung Community Secondary School, Oruko, Urueoffong Oruko LGA.
These students will also be taken on an excursion to the facility of Seven Energy in the course of the year.
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