SEPLAT-Ugborhen Community presents starter-packs to skill acquisition graduands

By Ovasa Ogaga,

Youths from SEPLAT host community, Ugborhen in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State were recently presented with starter packs each to enable them to start income yielding businesses after an intensive skill acquisition trainee programme put together by the community and SEPLAT Energy Plc.

The fourth batch of the skills acquisition trainees’ graduation ceremony held at the Ugborhen Community hall, in Ugborhen was part of Seplat’s capacity building programme which selects and trains participants from the company’s impact communities.

The starter packs, The representative of Eng Folorunsho Afolabi, Managing Director, Seplat West Limited, who presented the starter packs congratulated the graduands.

According to him, this is part of Seplat corporate social responsibility to host communities, adding that the programme was designed to eliminate social and economic issues like joblessness, poverty, crime and restiveness in communities, noting that it will also help to develop positive attitude towards work and build self-reliant youths.

Speaking earlier, the President of Ugborhen Community, Dr Nelson Ukoko, while thanking Seplat, said the starter pack was a new beginning, he admonished them not to trade it for anything on earth, “that you are not a graduate does not mean you cannot succeed in life” adding that he is already working on a new plan for others to benefit.

Mr Iyeni Samuel, an environmental expert who also congratulated the graduands said,  “government cannot employ everybody so it’s good Seplat and Ugborhen has put up this programme, so they must not sell their Starter packs, they can get people to employ as far as they are dedicated to their job”

One of the beneficiaries, Okpako Blessing, who spoke, thanked Seplat and the Community for the programme, adding that the starter pack presentation was a new dawn in her life.

The beneficiaries trained on various skills, including welding & fabrication, fashion & design, catering and computer technology were presented with certificates and starter packs including welding machines, computer sets, sewing and weaving machines, generators and catering materials.