By Chineme Okafor in Abuja
Three states in the north east that have been greatly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency – Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, have been given ambulances to ease their medical aid efforts by operators of the Agbami deep offshore oil field.
The ambulance donation, according to the operators which comprise of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chevron whose interest is held by Star Deepwater Petroleum Limited, Famfa Oil Limited, Statoil Nigeria Limited and Petrobras Nigeria Limited, was done in line with the engagement principles of its Deep Offshore Community Affairs Group (DOCAG).
They explained that donation represents their contribution to the federal government’s reconstruction efforts at the northeast.
They also stated at the presentation ceremony in Abuja that they view the entire Nigeria as their community, hence the decision to make the ambulance donation Yobe, Borno and Adamawa States whose officials were at hand to receive them.
Speaking at the occasion, the Director for Deepwater and Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) of Star Deepwater, Jefrrey Ewing stated that the intervention will support the federal government in providing adequate and accessible healthcare in the benefitting states.
Ewing explained the ambulances are fully equipped with modern equipment to support effective delivery of emergency relief in the region.
He noted that the Agbami field operators have overtime built 25 well equipped chest clinics, 16 hybrid libraries and 32 science laboratories in states across Nigeria, adding that one of the science laboratories was built in Government Secondary School, Fufore and a hybrid library donated by Chevron and its other partners to Aliyu Mustapha College, Yola, both in Adamawa.
According to him, scholars from the three states have also enjoyed the Agbami Medical and Engineering Scholarships (AMEPS) in the fraction of 42 for Yobe, 85 for Borno and 70 for Adamawa.
Also, the Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Senator Binta Garba who spoke at the donation, said Madagali, one of the towns under her senatorial district and which was affected by the insurgency, has just one medical clinic, while Michika has just a medical doctor to take care of the medical needs of all its residents. She said the Nigerian military secures and also undertake social services in the region.
She noted that ambulance donation from the Agbami partners was parts of the reconstruction efforts of the government in the northeast. According to her, emergency medical responses would be faster and qualitative with the new ambulances.
Garba however requested the Agbami operators to consider providing some other medical relief to the states.
