The Oil Marketing Company (OMC), Star Oil Limited, has climaxed its 25th anniversary celebrations with a thanksgiving and Christmas service in Accra. 

The service, which lasted for about three hours, saw the board of directors, management, staff, customers and other stakeholders, who were dressed in white and in clothes made from the company’s anniversary cloth, came together to offer thanks to God at the Covenant Family Community Church, Cantonments, for his blessings and to ask for His continuous protection.

The thanksgiving service last Friday marked the end of the year-long celebration of Star Oil’s 25th anniversary.

It featured joyful renditions of Christmas carols such as “O come let us adore him”, “O for a thousand tongues to sing”, “Hark the herald angels sing”, and “To God be the glory,” among others.

Praises took centre stage as the Bethel Choir and the Harmonious Chorale led the congregation to sing various hymns and songs to mark the climax.

As part of the service, there were slide shows of social impact projects undertaken by the company in various communities across the country. 

The Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Bishop Hilliard Dogbey, President of the Africa Bible Centre for Disciple-Making (ABCD), Apostle Jude Hama, and other clergymen led prayers for the 25 years of God’s grace and success, as well as the peace of the nation.

Strides

The Chief Executive Officer of Star Oil, Philip Tieku, commended the staff of the company for their hard work, unity and commitment which moved the company from the second-largest OMC to a market leader.

“As we reflect on these achievements, we are reminded that none of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our team, the trust of our customers, and, above all, the grace of God. We are also grateful to our partners, suppliers and dealers who have journeyed with us,” he said.

Highlighting some achievements of the company, Mr Tieku said Star Oil had increased the number of retail outlets from 191 at the end of 2023 to an ambitious target of 229 filling and LPG stations by the end of 2024.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to meeting the fuel and energy needs of more communities across Ghana and at affordable prices,” he said.

The company, he said, had also created jobs and empowered more people through the expansion of its service attendant staff from 1,443 to 1,644 by November 2024, while our overall staff strength increased from 1,911 to 2,198.

On corporate social responsibility, the CEO said Star Oil had expanded its commitment by renovating the Presbyterian Junior High School at Apirede Akwapem, constructing a brand new primary school with a Kindergarten for the people of Abotoase and expanding the emergency unit of the Oti Regional Hospital at Worawora, among others.

Looking into the future, Mr Tieku urged the staff of the company to remain committed to driving the objectives of the company, adding, “As we close out this remarkable 25th anniversary year, let us remind ourselves that this is not just the end of a chapter; it is the beginning of a new one.

“Now, more than ever, we must perfect the systems, services and strategies that brought us here, ensuring that Star Oil remains not just the largest but the most respected and admired OMC in Ghana,” he said.

For his part, the Board Chairman, Torgbui Xornametor I, applauded the management team and dedicated staff across the country for keeping the vision alive.

While expressing gratitude to Star Oil’s customers, he said the company was looking forward to delighting them further with nothing but the best petroleum retail service.

Sermon

Relying on the story of the three wise men, Apostle Hama explained that they intentionally looked for Jesus and they were careful not to be distracted.

As a result, he urged the company to position itself for people to trust in their products, adding that producing trusted products and making them affordable to customers would help earn the respect of customers.