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By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme towards ensuring a high standard of Education, Management of Rubber Estates Nigeria Limited has renovated classrooms, constructed toilets and donated over 480 Desk and Chairs worth about #37, 000,000 (Thirty-Seven Million) to Primary and Secondary schools within its Estates in Edo, Ondo, Delta and Ogun states respectively, in January 2023.
Presenting the Customized Desks and Chairs to the Schools, the Managing Director of the Company, Olivier Odoukou noted that the gesture is part of the Company’s Sustainable Development Actions embedded in its Corporate Social Responsibility scheme to schools within its estates of operations.
He noted that the Company takes into cognizance the need to provide a conducive learning environment for the students and pupils. Thus, they decided to renovate dilapidated structures in the schools, as well as provide these customized Chairs and Desks, to give the students and pupils comfort in their learning process. He maintained that the management of Rubber Estates Nigeria Limited will continue to implement actions that will enhance a good learning environment for students and pupils in the schools within its sites of operation, so as to secure a better future for them.
While imploring the schools’ managements to put these facilities into adequate use, he affirmed that the cost of renovating the buildings and purchasing the chairs and desks is quite expensive, and urged them to jealously protect the items so it can serve the purpose it was meant for.
Olivier Odoukou charged the students to be good ambassadors of the Company by ensuring they keep to the Company’s policies on Environment, Health, Safety, Drug and Alcohol Abuse as well as Open Defecation among others. In response to the issues of insufficient teachers, the Managing Director said that his company will continue to support the actions ongoing with the States to provide solutions.
In their separate remarks, the Heads of the benefiting Schools noted that the gesture has again enacted RENL’s Management commitment in ensuring a better education for the wards of its staff and that of the surrounding communities.
They noted that the renovation of blocks of classrooms, as well as the provision of these Chairs and Desks, will reinvigorate the desire to learn in the children. They affirmed that the present management of Rubber Estates Nigeria Limited led by Olivier Odoukou has proven to be committed in making a difference in all facets of Educational development within the estates and beyond.
They thanked management for the renovation of their schools and the provision of learning materials and promised that they will be put into judicious use for the overall good of the students and pupils.
The ceremony later witnessed the handing over of the renovated blocks of class rooms and presentation of Desks and Chairs to the Management of the various schools, which cut across Adeola and Waterside both in Ogun State, Araromi in Ondo State, Osse River in Edo State and Utagba-Uno in Delta State amidst cheers.
Present at the ceremony were top management staff of the Company, including the Managing Director, Olivier Odoukou, Human Resource Manager, Joseph-Alain Kouame, Public Relations Manager, Dayo Ikusika, HSE/SD Manager, Jonathan Okosisi, Communication Manager, James Oronsaye, representatives of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the various schools, Parents, Pupils and Students in all schools visited.
