TotalEnergies JV Asset Organises Book Reading for Rivers Students 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Joint Venture (JV) Asset, organised a one-day book reading programme for senior secondary school students in Rivers to encourage reading habits and impart knowledge to the younger generation.

The programme, with the theme ‘The World is a Maze; Navigate it-Read’, was held at the headquarters of the TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited in Port Harcourt over the weekend.

The participating schools include Community Secondary School Rumuomasi, Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary School, Bishop Crowther Memorial Secondary School, Rumuobiokani, Hilltop Prime International College and Government Technical College Port Harcourt.

Others were Community Secondary School Abuloma, Community Secondary School Nkpogu, Community Secondary School Amadi-ama, Government Senior Secondary School Elekahia, Port Harcourt and Dietams International Schools.

During the programme, the students were led to read and discuss the book ‘Unexpected Joy at Dawn’ by Alex Agyei Agyiri. Participants expressed their scope of knowledge of the book by answering questions and explaining the characters in the book. In discussing the content, the students linked the book subject to current societal events.

The author, Alex Agyiri, a Nigerian born in Ghana, tried to unravel the incidence in Ghana between 1970 and 1971 on how the ‘Aliens Compliance Order’ forced all illegal immigrants to return to their country. 

In his speech, the Deputy Managing Director, JV Asset, TotalEnergies, Mr Olivier Cassassoles, said the book reading is a significant event of the company because it promotes the culture of reading amongst students in Nigeria.

Represented by an Executive Director of TotalEnergises, Obi Imemba, Cassassoles explained that reading is one of the essential habits people need to develop in life for information, direction, and character development.

Underlining the significance of books, Cassassoles recalled that the former president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, had said, “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.” He explained that this aligns with the event’s theme and implies that one must read to navigate life’s complexities successfully.

He encouraged the students to make a conscientious effort to research good books with themes and characters that align with what they would like to do in future.

In her remarks, representative of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Joy Nwamaka Joseph, thanked TotalEnergies for always seeking to improve the educational standard of the pupils, students, and under/post graduates in the state government institutions and for inspiring them to develop the habit of reading as a lifestyle. 

Also congratulating the schools and students chosen to participate in the event, Joseph, a Technical Adviser to the education commissioner in the state noted that reading is an effective tool for engaging students in critical thinking.

Mr Charles Ebereonwu, Country Communications Manager of TotalEnergies, disclosed that the annual reading event is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, focusing on making the next leaders.

THISDAY observed that the students were presented with school bags, books, solar lamps for reading, and other items to enhance their reading habits for future advancement.