DENNIS UDOMA, Uyo
“Our commitment as a responsible corporate citizen is to ensure, the comprehensive well being of our communities by drawing attention to very easily overlooked health conditions and lifestyles that can deprive us of our wellness and confine to the sickbay or hospitals sometimes with attendant consequences”.
Those were the words of the Deputy Managing Director of Total E&P, Port-Harcourt District, Mr. Nicolas Brunet expressing the corporate concern and social responsibility objective of his organization to host communities in Akwa Ibom in a recently held programme to sensitize the people on healthy living.
Total Exploration and Production (Total E&P) Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s foremost Oil/Gas companies it could be recalled, has continued to touch lives in many ways.
Apart from constructing some life enhancing projects like; the four class room blocks it inaugurated last year at Obio Itak in Ikono Local Government, six class room blocks at Nsit Oton, Nsit Ubium Local Government, renovation of Assembly Hall in Ebughu, Mbo Local Government, Solar Powered Water Scheme at Mkpanak and six class room blocks in Ibeno Local Government Area as well as Health Center at Atan-Offot in Uyo Local Government Area, Total E&P has again last week took Healthy Living Awareness Campaign to rural communities in Oron and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom.
Reason for these campaigns can simply be adduced to the fact that, Total E&P is a responsive corporate citizen that considers the importance of a healthy populace especially, its host communities in Nigeria as key to its successes.
Across the world, provision of better health care services is a priority and, for any society to develop there is need for a healthy population. That is why the United Nations (UN) recommends that, every government should set aside not less than 5 per cent of its annual budget to providing health services her citizenry.
Recognizing this fact, Total E&P in line with its social responsibility objectives has decided to improve the quality of lives of the people in Akwa Ibom communities through better health care services, one of which was the recently concluded healthy living awareness campaigns in Oron and Easter Obolo local government areas.
The objective of the exercise according to the company “was to ensure the comprehensive well being of the communities by drawing people’s attention to very easily overlooked health conditions and life styles that can deprive the people of their wellness and perhaps confine them to sick bay or hospitals with attendant fatal consequences”.
Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District, Mr. Nicolas Brunet in his key note address at the NNPC/TEPNG Healthy Living Awareness Campaigns in Oron made the above remarks.
Mr. Brunet, who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy General Manager, Community Affairs, Engr. Izu Iduoku said early identification of signs and symptoms would help the people seek medical help before becoming too late for diagnosis and treatment.
He expressed the hope that, the awareness campaign would engender effective and sustainable lifestyles and habit that would help in preventing most medical emergencies and deaths.
The Dep. Managing Director charged the people to embrace total change of values, habits and lifestyles in order to promote overall wellness and healthy living.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to this year’s Healthy Living Awareness campaign, a programme of the NNPC/TEPNG Joint Venture, for our host communities in Akwa Ibom State.
In line with the overall objective of the company to ensure healthy living for staff and families and as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility for our host communities, this programme is demonstration of our commitment to continue to touch the lives of our host communities in more ways than ever.
“Today, we encourage you to embrace total change-change of values, change of habits and change of lifestyles in order to promote the overall wellness and healthy living.
“As a show of our belief in sustainable community health, we have planned and held this programme in other locations beginning from last week, starting with Port-Harcourt, then to all OML58 communities and now here in Akwa Ibom State”.
He thanked the various partners including the NNPC, the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, Standard Health Solutions Ltd, members of Akwa Ibom State MoU Implementation Committee and participants for their support.
The programme which was tagged, “Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Stroke” was expository in many ways as it provided the participants’ opportunity to diagnose and get useful medical advises from health personnel who were on hand to proffer solutions to health problems presented at
the programme.
Public Health experts from the Rivers State Primary Health Management Board and Total E&P made up the team that conducted diagnosis on the participants.
Fitness talks and demonstrations were also performed by the medical Director of Standard Health Solutions Ltd, Port-Harcourt, Dr. Angus Ikpe where he taught participants how to recognize symptoms of sicknesses he described as silent killers.
Such sicknesses included; diabetes, hypertension, kidney failure and stroke.
He advised that, the only means to avoid having these sicknesses is by eating good food to promote a healthy living for growth and maintenance of a healthy body.
There were questions and answers session where the participants got real value for participation in the exercise as was expressed by the participants.
Chairman, Community Development Committee, Pastor Etim Etti in his remarks expressed delight in the commitment of Total E&P for extending the gesture to Oron communities.
He said, without good health no man could fulfiled his plans in life and lauded the company for being people-oriented adding that, Total over the years has increased its commitment in the welfare of the people.
While appealing to the company to incorporate free medical treatment in the awareness programme noted with enthusiasm that, the health tips would go a long way to improve the general well-being of the people.
Paramount Ruler of Oron, His Royal Majesty (Ofong) Akan who praised Total E&P for its commitment in bringing the awareness campaign to the area described the company as community friendly.
He said though, it was an eye opener to the people, the programme would have made been more better, had medical treatment was given alongside the diagnosis and appealed that, the company should make it a priority in its next strategic plans.
The event which was well attended drew participants from the youths, women and community stakeholders at Oron Union Centre in Akwa Ibom State.
