Forty-six (46) students from neighbouring communities around Okomu Oil Company PLC have benefited from the 2023 Annual Bursary Award of the company.
The students are drawn from over 19 communities in Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhunmwonde Local Government Areas of Edo State.
Besides building and renovating schools in its neighbouring communities, Okomu has since 2010 awarded bursaries to indigent students of tertiary institutions as the company’s little way of supporting the educational pursuit of students in its locality and developing manpower
Managing Director, Dr. Graham Hefer while highlighting the role of education in the development of any society said the bursary scheme is a deliberate effort by management to empower the various communities through knowledge.
Dr. Hefer revealed that since the inception of the scheme, three hundred and twenty-nine students have received the bursary award stressing that management will continue to support members of its neighbouring communities in its bid to develop the area.
Similarly, representatives of Okomu neighbouring communities have been urged to always seek for the peaceful coexistence between them and other stakeholders in the area.
This was the thrust of the lecture at the biannual community training programme, organized by Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc for members of its neighbouring communities.
The facilitator of the training Kingsley Ehinmwinhoghia identified perception, mindset, expectation and resources as some of the challenges bedeviling peaceful coexistence between communities and companies while tolerance, Patience, compromise, understanding and communication are some of the panacea to peaceful coexistence
Dignitaries at the event include the Local Government Chairman of Ovia South West Hon Engr Edosa Enowoghomwenma, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Water Ways Security Hon. Godstime Odigigba and the Coordinator of Edo State Civil Society Organizations Leftist Omobude Agho
In their separate remarks, they called for co-operation with the company as the survival of the company is beneficial to the communities. Leftist Omobude in particular cited companies that have been liquidated and the benefits lost from such liquidation.
The participants at the training and the recipients of the bursary thanked the Company not only for been consistent in this practice but also raising the amount given as bursaries to the students
