Oil company donates building to UNN

Platform Petroleum Limited, an indigenous oil and gas
company, donated an ultra-modern building to the
geology department of the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka (UNN), Enugu state, on Wednesday.

Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum
resources, who is an alumnus of the institution, was
a special guest at the event.

He was joined by guests like Dumo Lulu-Briggs,
chairman, Platform Petroleum; ABC Orjiako, chairman,
SEPLAT; Sylvester Adegoke, Bolaji Ogundare,
managing director, Newcross and Edmund Daukoru, a
monarch, among others.

The edifice named Austin Avuru Building was built and
donated to the department in honour of Austin Avuru,
first chief executive officer (CEO) of Platform Petroleum
Limited and current CEO, SEPLAT Petroleum
Development Company Plc. who graduated from the
department in 1980.

Avuru graduated from the department in 1980.

A statement signed by Amaechi Moshe,  GMD Platform
Petroleum Holdings Limited, said the facility “which is
the first CSR initiative by Platform Petroleum Limited
outside of its Umutu, Delta state, operation site came
out of the desire of the company to support  Avuru’s
desire to reduce the huge infrastructural deficit at his
alma mater.”

He noted that things had got so bad at the department
of geology to the extent that it was about to lose its
academic accreditation.

The new building, according to the statement, is larger
and more conducive than the old departmental
building and will provide office space for lecturers as
well as laboratories and lecture halls for students.

“The gesture by the company is a reiteration of
Platform Petroleum Limited’s commitment to creating
value for the larger good of the society and the
company is excited that the provision of this building
will enhance quality of education for the staff and
students of the Department of Geology,” he said.

Chukwuma Ozumba, vice chancellor of the university,
thanked the company for the support and
congratulated Austin Avuru for being a worthy
ambassador of the institution.

He assured his guests that the university would justify
the resources invested in the new building.

He also enjoined other alumni to emulate Avuru and
Platform Petroleum in helping to enhance the learning
environment.

TheCable