The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NNPC

  • Court orders NNPC to pay retirees N500m

    Court orders NNPC to pay retirees N500m

    The National Industrial Court on Monday ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Pension Fund Limited to pay N500 million to the corporation’s pensioners who retired prior to 2004.

    Justice Maureen Esowe gave the order, while delivering judgment in a case filed by one Mr. Moshe Amaechi and three others on behalf of the pre-2004 retirees of the NNPC.

    The claimants instituted the suit in December 2011, challenging the non-payment of their reviewed pension arrears, approved by the NNPC Board in 2009.

    They urged the court to declare that the said N500 million was meant for the retirees who retired on or before December 31, 2004, which the claimants are part of.

    The claimants also prayed the court to order the defendant to pay the said amount to all the pensioners who retired from NNPC on or before December 31, 2004.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that, during the hearing of the case, the defendant had submitted that the claimants did not represent the interest of all the affected retirees.

    The NNPC counsel, Ms Olufunke Aboyade, had urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the claimants had no common interests and grievances.

    She also urged the court to hold that the claims were not beneficial to all the retirees.

    In his argument, the claimants’ counsel, Adeleke Agbola, submitted that, the money was meant for the pensioners, who retired prior to 2004 and not for all the pensioners as alleged by the defendant.

    Agbola also argued that, the defendant had no constitutional right to tamper with the claimants’ pension, as approved by the relevant authority.

    In her judgment, the judge held that the issue before the court for determination was whether the claimants had legal standing to institute legal action against the defendant.

    Esowe also said that it was for the court to determine whether the claimants were entitled to the N500 million approved by the board of NNPC to the defendant.

    She further held that the court would determine whether the claimants had common interest and grievance, and whether their claims were beneficial to all the affected pensioners.

  • N142b debt: NNPC stalls probe of 16 subsidiaries

    N142b debt: NNPC stalls probe of 16 subsidiaries

    Attempts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to shield the financial records of its 16 subsidiaries from scrutiny by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance was thwarted by the lawmakers.

    Notwithstanding, none of the six subsidiary firms of the NNPC that appeared at the session yesterday availed the Committee of the requested financial details of their organisation, claiming that the invitation got to them late.

    NNPC made N6 trillion between 2009 and 2012 as internally generated revenue (IGR), but refused to remit N142billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) as demanded by the Fiscal Respinsiblity Act (FRA), 2007.

    The Committee has however, frowned at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) disposition to spending all its IGR without recourse to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, (FRA) 2007.

    FAAN generated N112.3b illion between 2009 and 2011 and N27.8billion in 2012.

    FAAN said it could not pay the N6.9billion the Finance committee requested it should be paid to the government from what it generated in 2012. Consequently, the Committee placed the agency under the same category of recalcitrant ones that have shown no sign of remitting government’s share of their IGR to the CRF

    At the resumption of investigative session into the remittance of IGR to the Federal government and following the invitation of the 16 subsidiaries of the NNPC yesterday, the Committee declared that the financial records presented by the NNPC on behalf of all its subsidiaries were not satisfactory to the Committee.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said separate accounts of the subsidiaries would have to be scrutinised.

    NNPC’s Group Executive Director (Finance and Accounts), Benard Otti, had earlier told the Committee that the entire subsidiaries have no separate accounts of their own.

    He said: “Accounts of the subsidiaries are consolidated with that of the NNPC. There is only one account, there is no different account for the subsidiaries.”

    The Corporation’s Legal Adviser, Anthony Madichie, pointed out that the subsidiaries were set up by the NNPC, adding that the law that established the Corporation talked abut NNPC account and not the subsidiaries’ account.

    The Committee however, faulted that stand, as the Chairman reminded the organisation that the Committee is constitutionally empowered to carry out oversight functions and in this case, since the records of the NNPC was questionable, the Committee was duty-bound to ascertain the facts.

  • NNPC co-operative declares N157.3m dividends for shareholders

    The Staff Co-operative Multi-purpose society Limited of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has declared N157.3 million as dividends for shareholders of the company for the 2012 financial year.

    The President of the co-operative, Mr Ojeyemi Adeleke, declared this to shareholders during the co-operative’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. He called for prompt remittance of deductions from staff emoluments, saying irregular remittance of deductions is one of the main challenges facing the cooperative society.

    He said: “This is our greatest challenge. It is hampering our operations and delivery of service to our members. It also puts enormous financial pressure on us. Just as blood is to life, so is prompt remittances of our deductions from our members’ salaries to the society. We, therefore, on behalf of our society and sister societies in the NNPC Group, appeal to the NNPC management to regularly remit our deductions together with the payment of salaries.”

    He listed the projects carried out by the society as construction of office complex in Lagos comprising a new secretariat, multi-purpose hall, consumer shop and a new parking lot. He said the co-operative is partnering Aqua Production Technology of Israel on agricultural scheme, import replacement with export.

    He said the cooperative society’s financial statement showed that year 2011 was better when compared with the dividends of 2012. He said N201,332,568 dividends was declared in 2011 as against N157,317,832 in 2012.

    A member of the co-operative, Mr Ignatius Christopher, blamed the decline in 2012 dividend on capital projects embarked upon by the society. “The management has many projects at hand when compared with previous year and these projects are being financed with mainly bank loans.

  • There was no surpluses to pay, NNPC replies Reps

    There was no surpluses to pay, NNPC replies Reps

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday explained that the corporation should not be expected to sweep funds into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, when there is no surplus to remit.

    Its Group Managing Director Andrew Yakubu, represented by Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Ibrahim Farouk, made the clarification to reporters in Abuja.

    He was responding to the claim by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Abdulmumin Jibrin, that the NNPC owes the Federal Government N142.7billion in unremitted internally generated fund meant to be paid into the Federal Consolidated Account.

    He, however, noted that the law makes it clear that it is surpluses that should be paid.

    The NNPC chief said since the corporation is still working on its account books, it would not churn out any figure to the public in a hurry.

    Yakubu said: “Before that however, we should like to emphasise that the NNPC cannot be expected to sweep funds into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, since the law specifically says it is surplus that should be so paid. In a situation where due to no fault of ours, we operate at a loss, there would not be any surplus to pay.

    “Of course we are all living witnesses to the causes of our operational losses. These include having to buy crude at international rate but sell at regulated prices. Equally important is our role as product supplier of last resort. This particular role has taken a huge toll on our finances.”

    “But as a Federal Government-owned corporation, we take this responsibility seriously. And we are pleased with our performance in this respect. Then there is the issue of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft. Add to these is the difficult operational environment.”

    The corporation noted that it had appeared before the committee to clarified the issues and it was agreed that the committee would raise a team from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to look into the books with seven days

    Yakubu, however added: “It should be noted that one week after that meeting, no one visited us at the NNPC. This prompted us to write a reminder to the Office of the Accountant-General, who then replied to say that a team would come the following week.

    “When we came to the House on the 25th of February, we informed the Committee that the team did not come and the chairman of the Committee got confirmation from the Accountant-General that his team was coming to the NNPC during the week.

    “On the day of the visit, we sent the names of the team members to the security gate for clearance, and the officials from the Accountant-General’s office came in and we began to work. A while later, two members and the clerk of the House Committee on Finance arrived at the gate.

    “What Honourable Jibrin failed to tell the press was that our security officers had requested that the honourable visitors may enter the premises but that their driver should come out after parking their vehicle at the visitors’ car park.

    “The honourable members rejected this simple request insisting that they would park their car inside the premises. Unfortunately, while this was going on, the officer detailed to receive them at the main entrance was waiting for them. By the time he got to know what was happening the honourable members had left in anger.”

    He said a review meeting with the team took place on Thursday, 7th March, 2013, where NNPC Account Department gave them all the books they asked for and an office to do their work.

    Yakubu stressed that at the end of the day, the team presented their draft observations based on the financial statements of the Corporation and its 16 subsidiaries which they reviewed.

    He said NNPC accountants duly clarified the observations made by the team and it was resolved that the next meeting would hold after the team had incorporated into its report the financials of NNPC Corporate which the team had curiously left out.

    He further noted that “We should like to state that early yesterday morning we had called the clerk of the Committee to find out if there was really a need to come to the House in view of the fact that the team was still working. The clerk had informed us that it was not necessary for us to come.

    “Curiously enough, even before the team could conclude their assignment Hon. Jibrin for reasons that we cannot fathom, but certainly calculated to put the Corporation in bad light went to town with news that his Committee has uncovered a debt of N142.7b that the Corporation was owing to the Federal Government.

    “Ideally we would not have wanted to take issues with the National Assembly, but given the wide publicity that the allegations have received we owe Nigerians a duty to put things in proper perspectives.

    Our position is that the team had not completed its assignment for reasons we will explain shortly.”

    According to him, these notwithstanding, NNPC has continued over the years to provide to the Federation Account about N400 billion naira monthly from our upstream operations.

    He said this is no mean feat, given the very difficult terrain in which the corporation has been operating.

    He submitted that: “We believe that we deserve some recognition for this feat.

    We would like to assure all Nigerians that we would continue to strive to live up to our mandate as contained in the Act establishing the Corporation.”

     

  • Auditor’s report indicts NNPC, DPR, PPPRA

    Auditor’s report indicts NNPC, DPR, PPPRA

    The House of Representatives Committee on Public Account (PAC) is shocked at the level of manipulation Nigeria’s finances are being subjected to by those in authority.

    Subsequently, the Committee has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to present the chief executives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Products Price regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) before it answer the queries raised by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation on the financial records.

    The 2007 Auditor General’s report revealed how money was being moved without authorisation and in flagrant disregard of the Constitution.

    The report reads: “In the year under review, sums totalling $174,000 and $911,224.15 were credited to the FGN Excess Proceeds of Crude Oil Sales Account as interest on Fixed Term Deposit and interest on Ordinary Deposit.

    “The authority for placing the funds, which yielded the above interest in the deposit account, was not made available for audit verification. The banks where the deposits were made, the principal sums deposited, the tenor and the rate of interest were also not made available for audit verification.

    “Sums totalling $213, 354, 142.31 and $20,515,048.62 were credited to the FGN Excess Proceeds of PPT/Royalty Account as interest on Fixed Term Deposit and interest on Ordinary Deposit.

    “The authority for placing the funds, which yielded the interest in deposit account, was not made available for audit verification. The banks where the deposits were made, the principal sums deposited, the tenor and the rate of interest were also not made available for audit verification. The Accountant General has been asked to produce these documents for audit verification.

    “The sum of $17,351,526.14 was transferred in April, 2007 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account to the “FGN Excess Proceeds of Crude Oil Sales Account”. The mandate authorising the transfer was neither made available for audit verification nor was the purpose of the transfer stated.

    “The Accountant-General has been called upon to produce the mandate authorising the transfer and also indicate the purpose of transferring such money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to Excess Crude Oil Account.

    “Amounts totaling $2,800,000,000.00 were transferred from the ‘FGN Excess Proceeds of Crude on Sales Account’ in November, 2007 to Fixed Term Deposit Account of an international bank.

    “The bank where the deposit was made, the tenor, the interest rate, the certificate of deposit, the authority for the deposit and the relevant bank statements were not produced for audit verification.

    “CBN Statement of Account for the ‘FGN Excess Proceeds of Crude Oil Sales Account’ revealed that $455,638,596.22 for June 2007 Excess Crude was credited to the account in July, 2007.

    “In August, 2007, this same amount was reversed and the account credited with a lower amount of $445,638,596.22, giving rise to a shortfall of $10,000,000.00.

    “Records showing details of full crude oil sales proceeds for the month of June, 2007, the benchmark figure and hence the Excess Crude amount were not made available so that the new amount credited could be verified.

    “In view of the fact that the statements in question are bank statements ‘and the entries reflected physical cash movement, the Accountant-General of the Federation has been asked to state the status of the shortfall of the $10,000,000.00 not credited three weeks after the original lodgment was made.”

    The chairman of the Committee, Solomon Adeola, regretted that the report stated that all the anomalies were communicated to the Accountant-General of the Federation for prompt action and requested to produce the details from the CBN and forward same for audit verification.

    No action was taken.

    The document also revealed: “At the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, it was observed from the component statements of 2007 that Joint Venture Cash Calls (JVC) of N549,973b Excess Crude of N1,168 trillion and Petroleum Product Subsidy of the sum of N236,641b were deducted from proceeds of crude oil sales, while the sums of N25.951b and N62,542b were excess proceeds deducted in respect of Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Royalties.

    “These deductions were made before the net revenues were paid to the Federation Account, contrary to the provisions of Section 162(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires all such revenues to be paid directly into the Federation Account.

    “The sums of N 13,081b and N 16,895b being 4 per cent and 7 per cent of total Non-Oil and Gas Revenues, were deducted as cost of collection from the Federation Account and paid to Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigeria Customs Service.

    “There was no evidence to show that these rates were passed into law by the National Assembly. The Accountant-General of the Federation has been requested to produce the evidence showing that the rates for the deduction were approved by the Acts of the National Assembly, otherwise, advise the relevant collecting Agencies should seek formal legislative approval for the rates.”

    “Audit examination of the mandate letters from NNPC to CBN in January and February 2007 revealed that the benchmark amount of the Domestic Crude Oil Sales proceeds was not fully paid by N38,816 billion to the Federation Account. This balance should be paid to the Federation Account, forwarding relevant particulars for audit verification.

    “Of the total withdrawals made from the Account of the Excess Crude Oil in the year 2007, $1 ,604 billion could not be traced into the records of FAAC on Excess Crude Oil for the year.

    “Similarly, payments totaling $1,569b made from Excess Crude Oil/PPT/Royalty Revenues as per FAAC records were not reflected in the CBN Statement of Account for the year 2007”.

    NNPC boss Andrew Yakubu is also expected to shed light on the allegation that through NNPC mandates to the CBN, N549b was paid for Joint Venture Cash Calls but only N441b was actually recorded in the books of NAPIMS as overheads, leaving a difference of N108b unaccounted for.

    The Auditor General’s report revealed that the NNPC claimed to have allocated 3,834,798 barrels of crude oil to Port-Harcourt Refinery in the months of September and November, 2007. Audit verification, however, revealed that the refinery receipted only 2,245,744 barrels for processing, giving rise to a shortfall of 1,589,054 barrels valued at N15b.

    “The sum of $4,451b was appropriated in the 2007 Budget for Joint Venture Cash Calls (JVCC) and this was fully released to the NNPC for the benefit of the Joint Venture operators.

    “However, NAPIMS budget for the Joint Venture Operators in the same year was put at $4,114b, resulting in a surplus of $336m.

    “Further audit scrutiny of the records .of the JVCC in the books of NAPIMS showed that the Joint Venture Operators were paid $1,714b.

    “When compared with the $4,114,990b budgeted by NAPIMS for the Joint Venture Operators, a difference of $2,400b was revealed as budget under-implementation.

    “Amounts totaling N80b and $1 ,550b were irregularly diverted for the execution of programmes not included in the approved budgets of the Joint Venture Operators.

    “The programme and activities include performance balance/supply, Niger Delta security, NIPP projects and NAPIMS Overhead Cost”.

    Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of PPPRA Reginald Stanley, and the Director, DPR, Osten Oluyemisiola were given till this afternoon to appear before the Committee.

  • ‘NNPC owes Fed Govt N142b’

    ‘NNPC owes Fed Govt N142b’

    • Controversy trails NLNG’s N195b dividend

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) owes the Federal Government N142.7 billion, but the Corporation has not shown any intention to pay the money, House of Representatives Committee on Finance has said.

    The corporation is supposed to remit the said amount from the N6 trillion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) it realised between 2009 and July, last year to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) as demanded by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, the Committee said.

    Consequently, the Committee has summoned the Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu to appear before it next Monday and Tuesday in connection with their finances and remittances to the government.

    It has also summoned the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) over the N195 billion dividends accruing to the Federal Government, which it claimed to be in possession of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

    Giving details of how the country has been shortchanged by the NNPC and its 16 subsidiaries, Chairman of the Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the corporation was initially hostile to a technical committee set up by the House to examine its records.

    He said: “Our biggest challenge has been the NNPC, but as a committee, we have resolved that whatever we have to do within the confines of the law, NNPC must be made to pay the money.

    “We have said it before that NNPC has never remitted anything under its IGR to the CRF. In 2009, the Corporation generated N2.048 trillion, and made N2.155 trillion in 2010.

    “While N1.9trillion was realised in 2011, by July of 2012, the Corporation made N259billion as its IGR. But between 2009 and 2012, the Corporation remitted nothing out of the N6 trillion it generated to the CRF as demanded by law.”

    Jibrin explained that to ascertain what was due to the Federal Government was not lost to either fraud or inefficiency, the Committee set up a technical group to examine the books of the corporation and its 16 subsidiaries.

  • Pipeline vandalism: 11 fishermen face trial April 17

    A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed April 17 for the trial of 11 fishermen charged with vandalism of an oil pipeline belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    Justice Musa Kurya fixed the date on Friday, after the Nigerian Prisons Service failed to produce the accused in court.

    A prison warder told the court that he only realised that the case was due for trial when he arrived in court.

    The accused are Sidi Egbayelo, (29); Sunday Shadrach, (39); Edem Okon, (30); Godwin Kofa, (28); Rosemon Neito, (30); Ejona Kpamkpam, (23) and Moses Victor (28).

    Others are Chris Sunday, (29); Peter Gay, (21); Remo Uchugwu, (23) and Mike Sabato, (29).

    They are in court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, vandalism and unlawful possession of petroleum products.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the accused were arraigned on February 7 and had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Each of them was granted bail in the sum of N2 million, with two sureties in like sum.

    NAN also reports that the accused are still remanded because they are yet to perfect their bail conditions.

    The prosecutor, Mr. Justin Enang had told the court that the accused were apprehended by a police team on December 21, 2012.

    He said they were apprehended at about 1p.m, at Atlas Cove, Lagos.

     

  • House of Reps probe $60m ‘waste’ by NNPC

    House of Reps probe $60m ‘waste’ by NNPC

    The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the alleged wastage of $60million by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on MT Tuma, an oil vessel owned by the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC).

    Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) “to investigate the rationale behind the prolonged stay of the ship in Brazil and ascertain those individuals or organisations responsible for its delay.”

    The resolution was sequel to adoption of the prayer of a motion sponsored by a member, Mudashiru Kamil Akinlabi, under matters of public importance.

    The motion was entitled: “Motion on the need to investigate the colossal amount spent in the NNPC-PPMC M.T Tuma vessel.”

    According to Akinlabi, MT Tuma left the shores of Nigeria in 2007 for a routine dry docking exercise(maintenance), which was expected to last three months. He, however, alleged that the ship left Nigeria without a proper scoping of the work to be done on it.

  • Controversy trails status of NNPC’s $1.56b loan

    Controversy trails status of NNPC’s $1.56b loan

    Controversy is dogging the status of the proposed $1.56 billion loan by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as the House of Representatives and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, gave different classification to the subject.

    While the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, declared that the proposed “loan” could not be found in both the 2013-2015 Medium Term Framework and the 2013 budget, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, said the fund was not a loan, but a forward sales agreement between the NNPC and its trading partners.

    The Corporation’s Group Managing Director, Andrew Yakubu, also towed Mrs. Aloson-Madueke’s line of argument.

    Speaking at the opening of the public hearing on the alleged loan by the House Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Aids, Loans and Debt Management and Justice, Tambuwal, who was represented by Chief Whip of the House, Ishiaka Bawa, urged the joint committee to do a good job.

    He said the public hearing was in alignment with the determination of the House, to not only deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizens, but also to ensure an entrenchment of good legacies.

    He said: “The proposed $1.56 billion loan by NNPC is very important. It’s importance is predicated on the fact that the loan was neither captured in the 2013-2015 Medium Term Framework, nor the 2013 budget.

    “As a Parliament, we believe that if we continue on the path of truth, history shall vindicate us. I assure you that members of the Seventh Assembly are fully committed to bringing the dividends of democracy to our people, and ensuring that we have a policy that we shall all be proud of.

    “It is on account of this belief that the House in its wisdom, referred this matter to the committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream), Aids, Loans and Debt Management and Justice to investigate fully and report back to the House.”

    The Speaker said the leadership of the House is convinced that the findings and recommendations of the committee would influence the direction of the House on the issue.

    But Mrs. Allison-Madueke, debunked the claim that NNPC was seeking a loan, explaining that what was being referred to was a forward sales agreement between the corporation and its trading partners.

    However, the members of the committee were not happy with the explanation, resulting in an argument on the issue. Many lawmakers rejected the Minister’s explanation.

    Also, Yakubu, adducing reasons for the acceptance of the forward sales agreement by the Corporation, said it was to enable NNPC honour its obligations, “while addressing the risk of sovereign default and potential banking crisis that could ensue.”

    He added: “Unfunded Federal Government’s expenditures over the decades, including but not limited to crude oil and product losses, pipeline security, demurrage on products strategic reserve stock, have resulted in periodic cash flows challenges to NNPC.

    “NNPC has accumulated various legacy liabilities which were being settled periodically from internal resources. The cash flow challenges have severe opportunity cost and complicated contradictions in corporate operations.

    “The NNPC import invoices is contractually obligated to be paid 45 days after laycan, but extended to over 360 days after laycan in recent time due to obvious cashflow challenges.

    “The non-reimbursement by Federal Government of the Petroleum Products Price Differential to NNPC has gradually led to accumulated and unpaid petroleum products invoices of about $3.5billion,” Yakubu , added.

    “On account of this pipeline security issues and other severe operational losses NNPC has been unable to settle its obligations to the suppliers of petroleum products importers in a timely manner according to contracted terms.”

    Listing some of the fallouts of the problems caused the Corporation by lack of funds, Yakubu said that traders (petroleum products importers) have become agitated over non-payment of their Petroleum Products invoices some of which were over three years old., and that the exposure of Domestic Banks is about US$1.5bn, and that the default of this magnitude of exposure could lead to another round of banking crisis.

  • NNPC subsidiary donates books, equipment to school

    THE management of Integrated Data Services Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has donated school furniture and science laboratory equipment to Oba Ewuare Grammar School, Oko in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

    Managing Director of the company, Dr. Joseph Dawha said the gesture was part of the organisation’s social corporate responsibility.

    Dawha, who was represented by Mr Yemi Dare, Manager Public Affairs, praised Governor Adams Oshiomhole for improving the standard of education in the state.

    He said the organisation would continue to complement efforts of the state government at providing infrastructure for schools within its operational base.

    Dawha noted that the company’s projects to its host communities cut across economic, social and educational empowerment.

    He urged the school authorities to ensure safety and security of the laboratory equipment as well as ensuring that students make judicious use of them.

    Principal of the school, Mrs. Dorothy Ikheloa, described the company’s donation as timely, urging it not to relent in its current efforts.