INTELS spends N14bn on projects in Rivers communities

The management of leading oil and gas logistics giant, INTELS Nigeria Limited, has revealed that the company has spent N14 billion on communities in Rivers State.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the company’s Media Consultant, Bolaji Akinola, the head of Onne clan in Rivers State,  King John Dennis Osaronu, poured encomium on INTELS for its  positive impact in the community.

Speaking in his palace in Onne recently when the management staff INTELS visited him, he said, “30 years ago, Onne was a virgin forest. Onne as you see today is not what it was about 25 to 30 years ago. Even the port area was forest. We used to go there to hunt for monkeys and catch crabs. We called it land of crabs. It was a useless parcel of land to us until INTELS came in.

“Since INTELS came to our community, there  have  been many changes. They have empowered our youths, men and women. They have built roads and provided medical services. Recently they constructed a 10-kilometre  road. They have built three schools for us and given us drainage system.”

He said INTELS also built a modern market at the cost of N1 billion and provided solar streetlights for the community.

The General Manager, Legal Services of INTELS, Mr. Mike Epelle, disclosed that the company has so far spent N14 billion on supporting various communities in Rivers State and other parts of the Niger Delta.

He further said that INTELS had put in place programmes and policies that have engendered peace and sustainable development in its host communities.

Also, the Head, Government and Public Affairs of INTELS Nigeria Limited, Mr. David Alagoa, said the company’s integrated participatory approach (IPA) identifies integration, participation, communication, interaction and dialogue as important elements of its community relations development plan.

He said: “We don’t dictate to the communities, we ask them what they want. We engage them and find out what will benefit the largest number of people and that will be sustainable. That is our approach.

“Our Community Social Responsibility has three major components. First is to empower indigenes of  host communities in a sustainable way through the provision of employment and improved welfare; second is to plan and execute integrated community development programmes with full community input and participation and third to adopt ‘best practices’ that guarantee community friendly operations.”