Yemisi Izuora
As part of its community and philanthropic efforts, Nepal Oil & Gas Services Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous midstream and downstream oil and gas companies, has embarked on a massive charity and medical assistance drive in the towns of Umuahia and Aba in Abia State.
The purpose of the initiative, tagged ‘back-to-the-roots’, was to give back to communities in Abia state, where the Managing Director, Nepal Oil & Gas, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma was born and brought up, whilst putting smiles on the faces of people ahead of the Yuletide season.
The charity drive initiative kicked off with medical relief donations at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia and Ensign Private Hospital, Aba. A total of 30 wheelchairs and 15 crutches were donated to the hospitals and patients in the Accident Emergency Ward, Children Emergency Ward, Orthopedic Ward, Female and Male Wards. Most of those who are recipients of the medical aids have been hospitalized beyond their discharged date, due to their inability to procure the necessary medical aids to continue their recovery at homes. The donations now put them in a position to properly heal both psychologically and emotionally.
The team thereafter, left the town in search of one Miss Happiness Nwachukwu, a young lady, the doctors said, is urgently in need of a new wheelchair. They located Miss Nwachukwu at Ayaba Umueze community in Aba, where they replaced her dilapidated and out-of-order wheelchair, she had used for years. An incredibly surprised Happiness was emotional as she received a gift that would change the way she celebrates this year’s yuletide holidays.
In addition to this, the Nepal Oil team also indicated interest to work out concessionary measures with the hospital management to defray the medical bills of up to 10 indigent patients, who for reason of their financial state, could not afford to pay for their medical care and consequently could not leave the hospital facilities for their homes. Some of these patients have stayed in the hospital for 1, 3, 5 even up to 8 months.
Commenting on the charity drive initiative, the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Nepal Oil & Gas, Mr. Umanta Ude Umanta stated, “At Nepal Oil & Gas, we have a management team that has continually invested in people-building and philanthropy. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is most of the times charity-driven. We are always on the lookout for people who are in need to provide relevant and sustainable assistance to them. This charity drive is one of the numerous ways we are giving back to the communities/society.
“Earlier this year, Nepal Oil & Gas donated relief materials worth over 10 million Naira to victims of the tragic Benue flood disaster. This Yuletide season, residents of Aba and Umuahia have been strategically chosen for this year’s charity drive, a way of giving back to the community that raised our Managing Director, Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma and connecting her back to her roots. The choice of hosting the charity funfair at Hospital Road Primary school, Aba was also strategic, as that was where Nepal Oil’s Managing Director received her first formal (elementary) education.”
One of the wheelchair beneficiaries at Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Mr. Victor Nwaiwu who expressed profound appreciation and commended the Nepal Oil & Gas team stated that he had not been able to get a wheelchair for himself due to financial constraint and this left him bedridden for 8 months.
In addition to the medical aids donations and assistance, the Nepal Oil & Gas “back-to-the-roots” charity drive also provided more than 3,000 people with bags of rice, cooking oil, salt, and vegetable to ensure they have a truly merry festive season.