Kaztec Engineering Limited Crew Assists in Rescue Following Ferry Disaster
LAGOS, NIGERIA, March 23, 2013 - Kaztec Engineering Ltd. (www.kaztec-eng.com), a 100 percent indigenous leader in the fabrication of drilling and production platforms and other specialized structures for the oil and gas industry, today expressed congratulations and thanks to the crew of its Ekulo Explorer anchor handling vessel for their role in the rescue of survivors of the ferry vessel, MV Soni, which capsized last week. The incident and rescue occurred on March 15, 2013, approximately 40 nautical miles from the Calabar waterways. The vessel had been en route to Gabon from the Oron quay.
Click here to review media coverage of the mishap.
The incident had gone unnoticed until men of Kaztec Engineering Limited aboard the Ekulo Explorer spotted two people floating in the water. They jumped to action and rescued the survivors, administering first aid treatment. The Kaztec crew transported the survivors to Bakor Medical Centre in Calabar to receive further care. The crew later returned to the area where the survivors were found to recover nine bodies from the ill-fated craft.
Sir Emeka Offor, Executive Chairman of Kaztec Engineering, and founder of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, paid a visit to Bakor Medical Centre to express his sympathy to the two survivors. When he inquired about the details of the incident, one of the survivors, Sani Kieve, of Togolese extraction, related that he had been in the water for three days before discovery, hanging on for dear life to a gas cylinder, along with the other survivor, Hafsat, a teenager from the Niger Republic.
Sir Offor voiced his gratitude to God for the miraculous way He used the men of the Company to save their lives. He offered donations of cash and food items, and also made an offer to employ the two of them as soon as they are discharged.
Following these events, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ziakade Patrick Akpobolokemi, commended Kaztec Engineering Limited for its role in the rescue of the survivors.
“The timely deployment of your men on the search and rescue mission leading to the rescue of several survivors and the application of first aid before prompt evacuation to standard hospitals for treatment speaks volumes of your sterling leadership qualities and exemplary behaviour.”
The full letter of commendation can be found here.
Kaztec is a subsidiary of the Chrome Group (www.thechromegroup.net), a leading West African oil and gas conglomerate. Addax is a subsidiary of the Sinopec Group, one of the largest oil and gas producers in China, the biggest oil refiner in Asia and the third largest worldwide.
The Chrome Group, founded in 1994 by Sir Emeka Offor, is one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous multinational businesses with subsidiaries operating in oil and gas exploration and production, oil and gas servicing, engineering, insurance, logistics and power industries.
About Kaztec Engineering Limited
Kaztec Engineering Limited is fast becoming a leader in the fabrication of drilling and production platforms, as well as other specialized structures in the oil and gas industry. The company is equipped to provide turnkey onshore and offshore fabrication and installation services. Its core capabilities include engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning of offshore and onshore oil and gas facilities for the oil and gas industry in West Africa. Kaztec values cultural individuality, a work ethic bound by quality, employee safety, and a strong focus on its clientele. Kaztec’s corporate headquarters is in Abuja, Nigeria. The company is a subsidiary of the Chrome Group, one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous conglomerates with companies operating in oil and gas exploration and production, oil and gas servicing, engineering, insurance, logistics and power industries.
