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SNEPCo Harps On Safety Ahead Of Bonga TAM
Nigeria’s premier deep-water oil and gas exploration and production company, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), has said that the scheduled turnaround maintenance (TAM) of its offshore Bonga asset would be defined by safety as top priority.
SNEPCo’s Managing Director, Elohor Aiboni, gave this charge at a session with the chief executive officers of contractor companies participating in the Bonga TAM scheduled for October.
“The Bonga TAM is important to revitalise this important critical national asset. But more important is carrying out the turnaround safely. That is what keeps me awake at night. It is our top priority as a company, and we promote this by encouraging our staff and contractors to speak up and work only if it is safe,” Aiboni said.
She challenged the CEOs to embrace the culture of encouraging their staff to speak up and stop work if safety is being compromised.
“It is the only way your organisations can thrive as they work to ensure the safe delivery of services for Bonga’s rebirth.”
SNEPCo’s Senior Asset Management Integration Lead, Jonathan Amakiri, described the session with the senior executives of the industry service companies as a deliberate strategy to ensure alignment on safety, speed of execution, compliance, and excellence.
“It is important that we share learnings and demonstrate commitment to addressing the relevant health, safety and environment issues to keep our people safe and motivated,” Amakiri said.
Responding to the SNEPCo charge, District Service Manager, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Marcus Flynn, pledged the support and commitment of the CEOs to safe delivery of the TAM, noting that the contractors would make safety a habit.
“We will continue to make safety a way of life. That is the least we owe SNEPCo and ourselves.”
SNEPCo pioneered Nigeria’s deep-water oil and gas production at Bonga, a project that increased Nigeria’s oil capacity by 10percent when it began producing in 2005.
Bonga is located 120km offshore and lies in water more than 1,000 metres deep across an area of 60 square kilometres.
It has the capacity to produce more than 200,000 barrels of oil a day, and 150million standard cubic feet of gas a day.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 2,000 people benefitted from the just-concluded one-week Vision First Initiative held in Lagos by SNEPCo in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The initiative is a focused eye care programme aimed at providing free medical eye care to underprivileged people to help eliminate preventable and treatable blindness among Nigerians.
Speaking about the event, SNEPCo Managing Director, Elohor Aiboni, said “This is just one of the ways to show care to people and help advance medical care among vulnerable Nigerians with little or no means to access quality medical eyecare”.
Aiboni, who was represented at the opening and closing events for the medical outreach by SNEPCo’s Business Opportunity Manager, Ibiyemi Asaolu, described the large turnout of people for the free eye care as a pointer to the huge number of Nigerians battling with preventable blindness, and who, with little help from public-spirited individuals and corporations, could regain their vision.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who was represented at the outreach by the Director for Administrative Training, Ministry of Health, Dr Olufunmilayo Shokunbi, described the programme as critical intervention, asking other corporate organisations to follow in the footstep of NNPCL and SNEPCo to support the health ambition of the state.
The Vision First Initiative, according the SNEPCo’s Regional Community Health Manager, Dr Akin Fajola, was launched in 2019, and has since taken medical eye care to various parts of the country as part of the social investment portfolio of SNEPCo and its partners.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation, to carry out a one-day medical outreach last Tuesday.
The free treatment scheme took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, with over 100 persons accessing free treatments, including free eye-glasses and booking for eye surgeries.
Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition.
The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’
Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7a.m. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients.
Mr. Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention.
He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.
Another patient, Loveth Sam, expressed satisfaction with the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits.
Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr. China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a Lab. Scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay for treatment.
He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged.
Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first, with or without money.
Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme.
He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian, after the one-day medical outreach, to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met when he worked there but had remained in service since he left.
He encouraged them to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. The Mayor of Housing called most of them by name and a cloud of emotions descended on them during the reunion.
Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director, Dr. Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.
According to him, the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily, adding that “not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that givers are given to give.”
Dr. Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives.
He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because they did not have money for treatment.
He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12 million instead of N500,000 few years back.
He wondered why hospitals were being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities were placed on low rates and tariffs so they could charge moderate fees from patients.
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
