By Chinonye Anyatonwu
In fulfilment of their annual project and as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) to the host communities, the management of the Tincan Island Port Complex (TIPC) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), have distributed over 500 school bags and umbrellas to students and staff of four schools in Tolu School Complex, Olodi Apapa under Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The exercise took place on Thursday at the Bola Ige Millennium senior secondary school compound at Tolu Complex, Lagos
The four schools visited are Newland Senior Secondary School Tolu, Tincan Island Junior High school Tolu, Alakoto Junior High school Tolu and Bola Ige Millennium Senior Secondary School, all in Tolu complex under Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area, Lagos state.
Addressing the students during the exercise, the Port Manager, Mallam Buba Jibril stated that the students have enough opportunities to work at the port if they study hard.
“In his word, you have enough opportunities, either you want to go into business or you want to work at the port or want to be a custom officer, Immigration officer, NDLEA officer or Standard Organization of Nigeria(SON)officer, all works in the port”.
“Continuing, in fact let me tell you one thing, the only reason that will make you to be there is when you embrace your studies, don’t be ashamed to ask questions always on what you don’t understand”.
“Whenever you want to come to the port, tell your teachers and we will oblige you, our contact person is here, tell your teachers you want to know how the ports operates, we will connect you with our officers that will take you around and introduce you to the activities at the port”.
He promised that he will discuss with the teachers so they can bring the students around to show them what the port is all about.
The port manager lauded the Managing Director of NPA, Mr. Bello Koko for his philanthropic gestures and for making the CSR of these year a success and advised the students to work hard to become the best and be useful to themselves and the society.
He maintained that the best way to identify with the community is to provide for the young ones so that the community could feel the impact and also to encourage the younger ones to be the best in their chosen careers.
He added that the students were important as the first contact because the old ones are ageing and the younger ones should be encouraged to step into the shoes of the elders when they are no longer in active service.
He advised the students to be serious with their studies saying that is the only way through which the students could become what they intend to be in future
Mallam Jubril urged the students to be studious, prioritize on their education and cultivate reading habit so they too can work as staff of government agencies .
“It will be sad that if I serve for 35 years and I did not hear that some of you that finished from my school here also get employed into the authority where I started 35 years ago.
“It is a challenge not for you but also your teachers, we will like to see graduates of the these school taking advantage and working at the port, this is not my message alone but from my managing director, Mohammed Koko Bello”, he said.
“This is a token from our Managing Director and we want you to accept it with joy as we promise to come in a bigger way next time.
“I want you to be part of us when I come with a walking stick and see that so and so persons are working in the port as SON, NAFDAC, NDLEA and other agencies’ officials. That will be my pride.
The Tutor General Permanent Secretary,(TGPS) charged other government agencies and private organisations within Tincan Island Port Complex to emulate the good gestures of NPA and help to put smiles on the faces of the students.
“In his speech, it is a welcome development and if companies around the places where we have schools have been doing this, it is going to impact knowledge on the students because knowledge is not limited to the four walls of the classrooms”, he stated.
“With what the Port Manager told the students, they now have hope that if they study hard, they will make it in life and join them at the Nigerian port.
He advised other companies and urged them to learn from what Nigerian Ports Authority are doing, adding that some other companies have been doing similar thing like Leventis.
He stated that Some of them come in form of Organising competitions among the students.
“So, I want to advise that they should let the good work continue,” he pleaded.
The Principal, of Bola Ige Millennium Secondary School, Mrs Omotunde Temishayo Risikat prayed for them and said God Almighty would continue to bless them.
“We appreciate them for remembering our children always, coming to bless our children, we are very happy to see them come around,
Recall that NPA TCIP distributed text books, writing materials to 10 schools in Tolu school complex, Olodi Apapa Lagos, last year as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR).
This initiative was done under the auspice of the former port manager, Engr. Ibrahim Yunusa Anji, where he assured them of the authority’s determination to support educational drive for schools within the community.
