GSS Owerri Wins 2011 NNPC/Shell Cup

Indomitable Government Sec

ondary School, Owerri, Imo State, has again, won this year’s Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Cup.

Presenting the first prize to the school at a brief ceremony at the state Ministry of Education in Owerri, last Wednesday, SPDC’s Head, Major Projects Public Relations and Brand Communications, Sola Abulu, said the school, having also lifted the cup in 2010, was the first in the 13-year history of NNPC/Shell Cup, to win the trophy in two consecutive years.

While presenting a cheque for N2.5million to GSS, Owerri, for the development of sports, Abulu, noted that the 20 students from the school, who took part in the championship, had received their prize money of N50,000 each shortly after the finals in April 2011.

In a statement, SPDC’s Corporate Media Relations Manager, Tony Okonedo, quoted Abulu as saying that the company’s “vision of promoting sports and education by discovering and supporting the nurturing of young talented football players in Nigerian secondary schools is being achieved,” adding that, “this would not have been possible without the support of key stakeholders, including NNPC, Nigerian Schools Sports Federation (NSSF) as well as federal and state ministries of sports and education.”

Also speaking, the Principal of GSS, Owerri, Mr. Raph Obiyo, commended the NNPC/Shell Joint Venture for the competition, which he said, has given sports development in the school a new lease of life.

According to him, “with the prize money won last year, we can now boast of a-state-of-the-art sports equipment in football, basketball and other sports.”

The Tide recalls that the NNPC/Shell Cup is the biggest youth football championships in Nigeria, offering secondary school students the opportunity to develop their soccer talents while continuing their education.

The annual championship is one of several education support interventions by SPDC Joint Venture.

Every year, the company awards about 2,730 secondary school and 850 university scholarships to deserving students from the Niger Delta and other parts of Nigeria.

At any one time, SPDC scholarships support some 13,650 secondary school and 3,400 university students in the country.

Nelson Chukwudi