The management of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun in Delta State on Saturday dismised a report from online medium, Sahara Reports alleging poor facilities in the institution despite a N39 billion budget.
The institute also demanded a retraction of the publication and public apology from Sahara Reporters within 48 hours or risk being dragged to court for defamation.
The statement from PTI said Sahara Reporters had in its July 10, 2025, publication alleged that “despite ₦39 billion budget, students at the PTI studied in flooded classrooms and snake-infested hostels”.
The management described the publication as mischievous and urged the staff, the public, stakeholders, and the students’ community to disregard the baseless accusations.
The management added that the unfounded claim that classrooms were flooded and that students were studying under collapsed roofs was a fabrication lacking any shred of evidence.
The Institute challenged Sahara Reporters to present verifiable photographic or video evidence of any flooded lecture hall or reptile-infested hostel on campus to authenticate it’s claims.
It described news report as the handiwork of unscrupulous elements determined to tarnish the reputation of the institute and undermine the hard-earned name, peace, progress, and infrastructural strides recorded in recent years under the current leadership of the institution.
Furthermore, the institute added that PTI classrooms, workshops, laboratories, and hostels are in good and habitable condition, and continuously maintained.
Similarly, it said lecture halls are roofed, well ventilated, electrically powered and dry, and no official or verifiable complaint has been made by any student to the contrary.
The management said that the institute maintains one of the safest, most peaceful, serene and best-lit federal campuses across the country.
Additionally, it said that the entire campus was fortified with functional solar-powered streetlights, ensuring visibility and security at night.
The management added that the Institute maintains an average of 20 hours of electricity daily, through a combination of public supply and industrial-grade generators.
“The suggestion that students sleep with one eye open due to reptiles or insecurity is a figment of the imagination of mischief- makers.
“We challenge Sahara Reporters to produce one officially documented complaint or verified testimony by any recognised student leader corroborating its wild allegations,” it said.
The management said that the ₦39 billion referenced in the 2025 budget was a federal allocation that covers a wide range of the PTI’s capacity development, capital projects, personnel and overhead costs, as well as technical projects.
It explained that budgetary allocations were subject to releases, procurement processes, and oversight functions by the National Assembly.
The management stressed that it was thus malicious and intellectually dishonest to allege mismanagement without basis or context.
The management noted that the institute operates under strict accountability protocols supervised by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Budget Office, and relevant auditing bodies.
It dismissed the allegation of alternatives for practical training, noting that the institute has never substituted its revered hands-on training to alternatives as alleged in the news report .
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The management said that it welcomes responsible journalism and constructive criticism, but condemned false and alarmist reportage designed to incite panic or discredit public institutions.
“We urge Sahara Reporters and similar platforms to uphold journalistic ethics by verifying facts and engaging official channels before publishing sensational headlines aimed at misleading the public.
“It is indeed unfortunate, shameful, distasteful and sad that Sahara Reporters allowed itself to be used as an agent of falsehood, either in a bid to extort funds from the Institute or to advance the agenda of disgruntled persons
“The current administration is focused on staff development, modernizing infrastructure, enhancing quality training, engaging in industry collaborations/partnerships, promoting research, as well as improving staff and students welfare,” it said.
The management said that the institute remains committed to training Nigeria’s next generation of oil and gas professionals in a safe, functional, and serene environment.
It therefore, urged the public to disregard the baseless publication and remain assured of the institute’s integrity and commitment to excellence.
