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By Amaechi Okonkwo
The 18th edition of the annual football competition among the OML 58 communities came to a close last Saturday, December 4, 2021, with the team from Elele Okinali defeating their Obite counterparts to emerge this year’s champions.
18 football teams, representing 18 communities that are hosts to TotalEnergies’ OML 58, participated in the competition, which community leaders describe as “fantastic and a strong commitment to youth development.”
In an address at the event, which took place at the Obite Civic Centre in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, deputy managing director of TotalEnergies, Mr. Guillaume Dulout, noted that the annual football competition had become the hallmark and testimony of an enduring relationship between TotalEnergies and the OML 58 communities.
Dulout, who was represented by the general manager, JV Onshore Field Operations, Christopher Emuh, expressed the company’s resolve to sustain the mutually beneficial relationship with host communities, while expressing gladness that the company and the OML 58 stakeholders have managed to navigate through the period of implementing very stringent COVID protocols which imposed constraints in the way the company relate and run her operations.
“We started this 18th edition of the competition with 18 teams on the 9th of November, 2021, but today we have Obite and Elele Okinali standing, of which one team will emerge as the champion.
“Be assured of the commitment of the NNPC/TEPNG Joint Venture to continue to identify with our youths in their efforts to engage in purposeful endeavours including sporting activities, to foster togetherness and build enduring social bridges across the different communities that have participated in this competition.
“We want to assure you of the continued commitment of TotalEnergies to sustainable skills development and other schemes targeted at youth development including the area of sports”, he said while congratulating the players and their supporters for their peaceful conduct all through the competition.
Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA), Vincent Job, described the competition as a strong effort at grassroots football development.
He said “The football competition that I see today is very fantastic. It is grooming young boys from the grassroots to a higher level.
“The slogan, ‘Playing for Peace,’ is well taken, because we are here for peace. We know what we recorded last time. We want to eschew those violence and criminality.
“So, this competition is a sort of unity cup, because football is a unifying factor for our youths and every other person. You can look at the crowd here and agree that it is a unifying factor. So, I applaud the organisers of this competition,” he said.
The lawmaker representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni State Constituency 1 at the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Christian Ahiakwo, and his colleague representing ONELGA Constituency 2, Hon. Nathaniel Owaji, commended TotalEnergies over the competition, while urging other companies operating in the area to emulate the gesture.
Ahiakwo (ONELGA 1) said “I commend TotalEnergy for keeping faith as far as this competition is concerned. I recall this competition started in 2002, which is about two decades today, and they are still keeping faith with the competition not minding constraints.
“I urge the youths to avail themselves of this opportunity, because it doesn’t come easy.
“If a company like this will go to this extra length to organize a programme like this, I think our youths should avail themselves of the opportunity, shun vices, and make sure they use the opportunity to develop themselves,” he said.
At the end of the 2021 edition, the Elele Okinali team emerged overall winners with a 4-3 victory over the Obite team, while Elele Alimini came third.