By Onome Oghenetega
Nigeria’s oil and gas leading company, Matrix Energy Group Ltd, has flagged off a six-day free eye medical outreach for five its host communities in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Over 1,000 residents are expected to benefit from the outreach from Ubeji, Ijala-Ikeren, Ifiekporo, Aja-Etan and Egbokodo-Itsekiri communities of Warri South Local Government Area.
The free eye treatment which is first of its kind by any oil servicing company operating in the area, according to Matrix Energy, is aimed to address identified impaired visual challenges by residents of the benefitting communities.
The launch of the exercise which took place at Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital in Ubeji area of Warri will run from Monday January 17th through Saturday 22nd.
The programme which is partnership with Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital, a modern hospital built and furnished by Matrix Energy, will also offer free medical glasses, refractor tests and drugs beneficiaries.
Speaking at the flag-off of the outreach on Monday, the Chief of Operating Officer of Matrix Energy Ltd, Mr. Loqman Salam-Alada, said the gesture is part of his organizational’s social corporate responsibilities to their hosts.
Salam-Alada, represented by Matrix’s Group Head HSSE, Fred Olomuro, said the company identified high rate of vision among residents of its host communities thus the reason for the free medical outreach.
He said no fewer than 1,000 persons with eye medical problems from the five host communities are expected to benefit from the programme.
“Today, Matrix Energy Ltd in partnership with Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital, is flagging off free eye medical outreach for members of our host communities who have challenges with their vision. It will begin today (Monday) and ends on Saturday January 22nd. We scheduled each community for a day and on Saturday is for everybody.
“Our intention is to see how we can support people who have vision issues because there’s high rate of people with sight challenges in this area. Matrix Energy is just trying to fill up that gap and support the government in ensuring that our people have good sights.
“In course of the outreach, there will be free test, free consultation, free lenses and drugs. We are covering all five host communities and beyond. Today is for Ubeji, tomorrow is for Ifiekporo and so on”, Salam-Alada stated.
Salam-Alada further added that Matrix Energy has been enjoying peaceful and unhindered operation with her host communities, promising to embark on projects that will directly impact the people of the area.
In his remark, the Ubeji Community Trust chairman, Ambassador Godwin Mone, commended Matrix Energy for the gesture, saying that such initiative would help deepened the already existing cordial relationship between the firm and their host.
Mone, however, charged other depot owners and oil companies operating in the area to emulate Matrix Energy for the development of the area.
Others who spoke including the communities’ Company Liaison Officer (CLO) to Matrix, Mr. Austin Ileleji, commended the firm for the free medical outreach, noting that Matrix has executed many other projects for the communities.
