The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Foundation has commenced the rehabilitation of the long-neglected Oluchi Primary School in Okpai Oluchi, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, committing an initial ₦60 million to restore the once-abandoned institution and provide pupils with a conducive learning environment.
Warri Zonal Secretary of PENGASSAN , Comrade Wilson Asekutu, along with the National Secretary, PENGASSAN Women Commission,disclosed during the flag off of the rehabilitation that the intervention reflects the foundation’s commitment to improving education and uplifting underserved communities across Nigeria.
He explained that the foundation was established by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as its humanitarian arm, funded through monthly contributions from members to support educational development, healthcare, community infrastructure and other social intervention programmes.
According to Asekutu, investing in primary education is one of the most effective ways to shape the nation’s future, noting that today’s pupils are tomorrow’s workforce, including potential professionals in the oil and gas industry.
“We believe the foundation of every successful society begins in the classroom. If children learn in unsafe and dilapidated schools, they may grow up believing society has abandoned them. We want them to know that people care and that they also have a future,” he said.
He said the foundation carefully identifies communities where government intervention has been limited, with project selection based on the level of need and potential social impact.
Describing the condition of Oluchi Primary School before work began, Asekutu said the environment was unfit for teaching and learning.
“When our team visited the school, it was an eyesore. It did not reflect a place where children should receive education. We could not ignore such a situation, especially in a community located within an oil-producing area,” he stated.
He noted that beyond renovating classrooms, the project is designed to inspire hope among pupils and encourage them to aspire to greater heights.
“We want these children to see educated professionals returning to support their community. That alone can motivate them to work hard and believe they too can succeed and one day give back to society.”
Asekutu said the first phase of the project, valued at about ₦60 million, will focus on the rehabilitation of three classroom blocks, renovation of teachers’ quarters and provision of essential facilities to improve both teaching and learning conditions.
He explained that creating decent accommodation and a conducive environment for teachers would encourage them to remain in rural communities and deliver quality education.
“If teachers are comfortable, they will be more motivated to impact knowledge. We also want to provide facilities that will make the school comparable to what is obtainable in urban areas so that the children will not feel disadvantaged because they live in a rural community.”
He revealed that construction materials had already been mobilised to the site and rehabilitation work had commenced.
According to him, the foundation expects to complete the first phase of the project within two weeks.
Beyond education, Asekutu said the PENGASSAN Foundation has continued to implement several humanitarian initiatives across the country, including providing electricity transformers for communities without power supply, paying hospital bills for indigent patients and supporting other grassroots development projects.
“Our mission is to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians and assure vulnerable communities that society has not forgotten them. Every intervention we undertake is aimed at improving lives and leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and service,” he added.
The National Secretary of the PENGASSAN Women Commission, Comrade Chidinma Anyanwu, said the PENGASSAN Foundation is funded entirely through voluntary contributions from members, enabling it to execute life-changing projects in communities across the country.
Speaking during assessment tour of the rehabilitation work on Oluchi Primary School,Okpai Oluchi,
, Comrade Anyanwu explained that the Foundation was established to identify with the needs of underserved communities and provide meaningful support through resources contributed by PENGASSAN members from their salaries.
She noted that the Foundation has successfully implemented numerous projects that have positively impacted the lives of people in various communities, stressing that its interventions are driven by compassion and a commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable groups.
According to her, the Foundation’s mission is to respond to the plight of communities by giving back to society through collective contributions from members, thereby making a lasting difference in the lives of beneficiaries.
The Headmistress of Oluchi Primary School, Okpai Oluchi, Mrs. Gloria Origho Okeoghene expressed overwhelming joy over the decision by the PENGASSAN Foundation to rehabilitate the school’s dilapidated facilities, describing the intervention as an answered prayer.
Speaking during an inspection visit by officials of the foundation, Origho Okeoghene said years of neglect had reduced the once-thriving public school to a shadow of itself, forcing many parents to withdraw their children over safety concerns.
Established in 1953, the government-owned primary school once had an enrolment of between 400 and 500 pupils. However, she said the number has dropped drastically as the deteriorating condition of classrooms discouraged learning and frightened parents.
“I am not happy with the state of my school. Each time it rains, the children run home because they are afraid. Many parents have taken their children to private schools because of the poor condition of the facilities,” she lamented.
According to the headmistress, the school currently has about 180 pupils, including those in the kindergarten section, far below its previous enrolment.
She acknowledged the construction of a new classroom block by the member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi, but noted that more comprehensive rehabilitation was still needed to restore the school to an acceptable standard.
Origho Okeoghene revealed that the school has only five government-employed teachers, while she personally pays the salary of one additional teacher engaged by the community.
“We have only five government teachers, and they are not enough. We need at least four more teachers to effectively handle the pupils,” she said.
She added that the teachers, including herself, reside in the school’s staff quarters because commuting from nearby towns would be difficult and expensive.
Expressing gratitude to the PENGASSAN Foundation, Origho Okeoghene said she became emotional when she first learnt about the planned rehabilitation project.
“The day they told me PENGASSAN was coming to renovate the school, I ran inside, brought out a bottle of malt and thanked God. I said, ‘Lord, You have answered my prayers.’ I was overwhelmed with joy because this is what we have been praying for,” she said.
The headmistress also highlighted other challenges confronting the school, including flooding ,inadequate office accommodation, poor sanitation and insecurity caused by abandoned and dilapidated buildings.
She explained that some of the old classrooms have become hideouts for miscreants who litter the premises with human waste, making the environment unsafe for pupils and teachers.
“If you go around the old classroom blocks, you will see human excreta everywhere. Some people sneak into the abandoned buildings to do all sorts of things. As a school administrator, there is little I can do because you do not know who they are or what they are capable of,” she said.
Although the newly constructed classroom block contains toilet facilities for pupils, she disclosed that the school still lacks a proper office, forcing teachers to operate from a temporary space.
Origho Okeoghene further appealed for more government support, saying the local community had tried within its limited resources to maintain the school but could no longer cope with the enormous rehabilitation needs.
She expressed optimism that the ongoing intervention by the PENGASSAN Foundation would restore confidence in the school, attract more pupils and create a safer, more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
“I sincerely appreciate the PENGASSAN Foundation for remembering this community. This project has given us renewed hope, and I believe it will transform the future of our children,” she said.
The Chairman of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of Oluchi Primary School, Okpai Oluchi, Mr. Godwin Adinkwu commended the PENGASSAN Foundation for undertaking the rehabilitation of the school’s dilapidated facilities, describing the intervention as a long-awaited relief for the community.
Adinkwu said the poor state of the school had forced many parents to withdraw their children, leading to a steady decline in pupil enrolment over the years.
According to him, the learning environment has become unsuitable for effective teaching and learning, making it difficult for pupils to remain in school, especially during the rainy season.
“The condition of the school is very bad. It is not a place that encourages learning, and many of our children have continued to leave because of the poor state of the buildings,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing rehabilitation would restore parents’ confidence in the public school and provide pupils with a safe and conducive environment for learning.
Adinkwu also lamented the shortage of teachers in the school, disclosing that the PTA and members of the community occasionally engage and pay additional teachers to complement the few government-employed staff.
“We do not have enough teachers. At times, the community has to employ teachers and pay them so that our children can continue receiving lessons,” he stated.
The PTA chairman assured the PENGASSAN Foundation of the community’s full support throughout the rehabilitation project, urging the organisation to deliver quality work that would stand the test of time.
“We are grateful to PENGASSAN for remembering our school. The entire community will give the foundation every necessary cooperation to ensure the successful completion of the project. Our appeal is that they should carry out a quality job that our children will benefit from for many years,” he added.
