Top Story: 125 Students Receive Scholarships From Hess Ghana - Axim

125 Students Receive Scholarships From Hess Ghana - Axim

A statement issued by the GNPC and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday said the Hess-GNPC Scholars Programme was established to support academically qualified but underprivileged students.

While making the announcement at the Nsein Secondary School, Mr Frank McKay, General Manager, Hess Ghana Exploration Ltd, confirmed that 125 new scholars have been selected for the 2016/2017 academic year.

The students would begin their studies in six partner institutions and would enter Senior High School in late October.

The students selected this year bring the total number of scholarship beneficiaries under the Hess-GNPC Scholars Programme to 521.

Mr McKay noted that the excellent performance of previous scholars motivated the partners to maintain this year's intake: The size of the first year's beneficiaries, 71, was based on the need to develop the programme efficiently and measure success.

Now that it has been tested with excellent results, we are pleased to expand the recipient districts to create room for other prospective students.

We hope the achievement of the first and second group of Hess-GNPC Scholars, will motivate the new students to also excel in academics, Mr McKay said.

Mr McKay added that in addition to paying the school fees, the scholars were also provided with counseling and mentoring on a regular basis to support their academic efforts.

He appealed to parents and the community at large to provide support to these hard working young students who would become future leaders.

Commending the scholarship beneficiaries on their selection, Mr Alexander Mould, Acting Chief Executive of GNPC said: We expect that you approach your studies with seriousness to justify this award to enable you to climb further up the educational ladder, with the support of your parents and your community.

GNPC views the education of our people as a priority; hence our investments, which include the construction of basic school infrastructure fully equipped with ICT labs to improve teaching and learning in our communities.

We believe that our country's greatest resource is its people and thus set up the GNPC Oil and Gas Learning Foundation in 2012 to provide institutional focus to oil and gas-related subjects at the postgraduate level.

So far, our Learning Foundation has sponsored 184 postgraduate students to various universities across the world, Mr Mould added.

The Hess-GNPC Scholars Programme was developed in response to a study of the health and educational needs in Ghana, and in the coastal districts of the Western Region in particular, to identify potential areas where the companies could make a measurable and sustainable difference.

The Scholarship initially targeted students in three districts " Nzema East, Jomoro and Ellembelle " with an emphasis on girls' education.

Since then it has been expanded to six coastal districts.

It covers the entire government-approved school costs (boarding fees, administrative fees, books, kits, uniforms) as well as other necessary expenses (trunk, chop box, mattress, pocket money, etc) for three years of Senior High School, Vocational Training or Health Training (Nursing), depending on the student's preference.

Last year, two additional companies " Fueltrade Ltd and LUKOIL Overseas Ghana Tano Ltd " joined Hess and GNPC in supporting the programme.

This year's launch extends the scholarship programme to include students from the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area.

Scholars are selected through an application and Interview process supported by the District Education Directorate .

Criteria for selection is based on BECE scores, a personal statement from prospective scholars, chosen programme, gender and family situation.

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed individually by a panel comprising representatives from the Traditional Council, Fishermen Associations, District Education Directorate, District Assembly, District Parent Teacher Association, Hess Ghana, and GNPC.

The event was chaired by Nana Kobina Nketsia V, Paramount Chief of Essikado, Sekondi.

Also present was Awulae Attibrukusu III, Paramount Chief of Lower Axim and also a Board Member of GNPC, Carmen Bruce-Annan, Corporate Affairs Manager and Eric Pwadura, Chief Corporate Communications Officer both of GNPC.

Hess is a leading global independent energy company licensed to operate in the Deepwater Tano /Cape Three Point (DWT-CTP) Block offshore Ghana.

The GNPC was established by the GNPC Law 1983 (PNDC Law 64), with the primary object of undertaking the exploration, development, production and disposal of petroleum.

GNPC started operations in 1985.

The Corporation is an anchor partner in all upstream operations and currently has stakes in 18 Petroleum Blocks and is the Operator of the Voltaian Basin.

GNPC is also the National Gas Aggregator.

Source: GNA

Published by GWS Online GH : 2016-10-29

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