PTl Management Exposes Lies in Viral Sahara Reporters’ Story On Campus Conditions
By Wilson Macaulay
Effurun, Delta State
July 12 2025
The Management of the prestigious Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, has vehemently refuted a sensational and malicious report published by Sahara Reporters on July 10, 2025, which alleged that students of the foremost oil and gas institution study in “flooded classrooms and snake-infested hostels” despite a ₦39 billion budget.
Describing the publication as “baseless, mischievous, and an orchestrated attempt to malign the integrity of the institution,” PTI Management said the report is not only factually inaccurate but also a deliberate attack on the hard-earned reputation and progress of the institution under its current leadership.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the management declared:
> “There are absolutely no flooded classrooms or snake-infested hostels within the Institute. These claims are complete fabrications devoid of any evidence or truth.”
Management further challenged Sahara Reporters to produce any verifiable photographic or video proof to substantiate its claims.
> “If such conditions exist as alleged, Sahara Reporters should have no difficulty presenting concrete evidence. Until then, their report remains a reckless misrepresentation aimed at misleading the public.”
PTI clarified that all its lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, and hostels are structurally sound, properly ventilated, electrically powered, and routinely maintained. The Institute prides itself on maintaining a safe and conducive academic environment for learning, innovation, and professional development in the oil and gas sector.
The management in clear terms described the publication as the work of “unscrupulous elements seeking to sow discord and cast aspersions on the steady infrastructural development PTI has recorded in recent years.”
As a center of excellence in petroleum training and manpower development, PTI has, under its current administration, seen remarkable transformation in terms of physical infrastructure, digital modernization, and student welfare programs. The Institute continues to attract local and international recognition for its cutting-edge research and high-impact training curriculum.
While assuring stakeholders, parents, and the general public of its unwavering commitment to the safety and welfare of its students, the management reiterated its call for responsible journalism and urged media practitioners to verify facts before rushing to publication.
“We remain focused on our mandate and will not be distracted by smear campaigns designed to derail our progress.”
