Govt partners Chevron on community engagements

Sokoto state government said it is open to partnering with public and private organisations to enhance community engagements through corporate social responsibilities.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal stated this when he received the Director of Policy, Government and Policy Affairs of Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Senator Gbenga Aluko, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Aluko was in the Government House to brief the Governor on Chevron's plan to establish a fully-stocked hybrid library in one of the secondary schools in Sokoto.

"Chevron has in the past intervened in the health sector in the state, and I am happy you have now expanded your area of intervention to include the education sector," Tambuwal said.

He added, "Education has been the number one priority for this administration. The sector got the highest allocation in our annual budgets in the last two years. We hope to maintain similar trend in the 2018 budget.

"We welcome your decision to construct this library and I assure you that the government will maintain the facilities and ensure it is fully utilised for the benefit of the intended beneficiaries."

In his remarks, Aluko said Chevron has in the past established a chest clinic at the Murtala Muhammed Sokoto Specialist Hospital, while a number of Sokoto indigenes have benefited from the company's scholarship for medical and engineering students.

He said the idea of building the library was part of their social investment in the area of education and that similar investment is being carried out to improve water supply and healthcare delivery in other parts of the country.