Feature picture – Above: A group photograph of the students who got the scholarship displaying cheques, members of the Management of Dangote Coal Mines Ltd, Effeche-Akpalli Community leaders and officials of Okpokwu LGC at the presentation ceremony last Thursday.
BARELY four months into coal mining operation in Effeche-Akpalli in Ugbokolo Ward of Okpokwu Local Government of Benue State, Dangote Coal Mines Limited has commenced the disbursement of scholarship for the year 2020 to the indigenes of Coal mining communities of the State. Recently, the Company also distributed palliatives to communities in the area to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
The first batch of ten beneficiaries who are from Effeche-Akpalli community in Okpokwu Local Government Area received a total sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000) on Thursday 6th August, 2020 at the Company’s Mining Site at Effeche.
According to the Head of the Branch, Dillip Taman, the award of scholarship is one of the Corporate Social Responsibilities of the Company to the mining communities as contained in the Community Development Agreement. He further emphasised that the scholarship is an annual event and the Company will ensure that the disbursement is carried out as and when due to eligible beneficiaries in host communities. He also emphasised that already the Company has started working on various other projects under the CDA to complete them as per the schedules agreed in the CDA.
Present at the ceremony was the Honourable Chairperson of Okpokwu LGA, Mrs Amina Audu, represented by the Honourable Leader of the Legislative Council. She applauded Dangote Coal Mining Company for the kind gesture to the young students in various institutions of higher learning who are indigenes of the LGA. She advised the students to make judicious use of the money and urged the company to ensure timely implementation of other projects like clinics, water supply, feeder roads and electricity as contained in the CDA.
In their separate remarks, both the Community Leader of Effeche, Chief Samuel Ameh, and the representatives of the students, Miss Elizabeth Agbidi, a Law student from the Benue State University, Makurdi, expressed appreciation to the Company for the gesture and promised to utilize the scholarship to engender their academic pursuits in various fields. They also pledged to work in harmony with the company in order to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for its operations in the area.
Among members of the Company’s Management team present at the ceremony include, Mr. Nuhu N. Elujah, General Manager, Special Duties and Mr. Ramamorthy, General Manager, Maintenance.
A cross section of the beneficiaries from Effeche-Akpalli.
