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By Henry Uche
PENGASSAN Women Commission, Lagos Zone, has reached out to the students of Nawair-UD-Deen Primary School in Mowe, Ogun State, with the renovation of toilet, borehole and other support materials.
Before now, Nawair-UD-Deen Primary School, Mowe, Ogun State, had struggled with non-functional toilets and a borehole, forcing children to use the bush as a toilet while in school.
However, with the intervention of PENGASSAN Women’s Commission through the ‘Touching Lives: Restoring Hope’ initiative, tagged ‘Back to School Project’, the women have put smiles on their faces.
The school children also received writing materials and 40 pairs of school sandals. The sandals were given specifically to pupils without sandals.
Speaking at the school, Comrade Kemi Thomas, Lagos Zonal Assistant Secretary, said every year, the Group takes it upon itself to ensure that they put a smile on the children across the seven states they cover.
“In the states we cover, we look out for schools that have special needs and reach out to them in our own capacity. Nawair-UD-Deen Primary School is one among others. We saw that they didn’t have functional toilets and boreholes and we decided to fix them. This is basically a contribution from Women in PENGASSAN and support from the president, Mr. Festus Osifo.”
To ensure the maintenance and sustainability of the facility, Thomas assured they would follow-up with the school with the standby project engineer to fix any defect.
On her part, Comrade Hannah Omeje, Caretaker Committee Chairperson, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company and Back to School 2026 Initiative, said the Back to School Project pioneered by Comrade Nikki Chinyere Duru, aims at ensuring that children in the locals have the basics they need to go about their education.
She said, “Because we know a lot can happen to a child when that child has access to education, not just access, but having the basic requirements needed for them to learn.
“Also, as workers in strategic places, we came to encourage them, to let them know that if we can, then they too can. Because many of us are also not born with a silver spoon, but here we are as workers in the energy space. So we are giving them the encouragement to trigger their dream high, they dream towards the future, and know that anything is possible if they believe and work hard. Moreover we select schools to reach out based on seriousness of need and our resources to meet them. Basically, community schools not private schools” she added.
Comrade Babatunde Oke, Principal Standing Secretary for PENGASSAN, Lagos Zone, said it is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Group. “It’s a way to demonstrate to people that we are not only about bread and butter. We feel the pains of people around us. It’s a way to help the indigent families, to bring back the out-of-school children into the classrooms” he explained.
The Headmaster of the school, Keefa Kehinde Ige, expressed happiness and commended the PENGASSAN women Commission for counting them fit and proper for such gestures.
He said: “This came at the time we were not expecting anything. We had these needs but we have not been able to address them because they were beyond our capacity. There are about 163 schools within this community and the government is trying its best.
“This is a relief to us. Before now, our school children go to the bush or anywhere outside to relieve themselves, but with this renovation, those unacceptable acts are over. This intervention is beneficial to teachers too because our learning environment is now conducive,” he added.
Comrade Justina Adenike, Zonal PRO Lagos Zone, confirmed that PENGASSAN has been doing such gestures for the past five years. “The whole idea is to touch lives and restore hope. We are inter-denominational. We don’t care what the religion is, all we are interested in is to touch lives and give meaning to our children,” he maintained.
