By Ishola Kayode
The late engineer was a devout Catholic who was committed to charity, and was known to have set up endowment funds for the advancement of education in Nigeria.
Ex-MD Of Shell Nig Gas Ltd, Samuel Inyang, aged 74, was an engineer and a former managing director of Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd, is dead.
Inyang’s death was announced on Monday in a statement from his first son, Itorobong Inyang, who said his father died on 31 July after a brief illness.
The late engineer, who had over three decades of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, hailed from Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.
Nyang had served previously as the general manager, production, East, in Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd before his appointment as managing director of Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd.
He retired as change manager for globalisation for Africa, Shell E&P International.
Inyang represented oil companies on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission between 2000 and 2006, and was a founding member of the Nigerian Gas Association (1979-97) and Director, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Lagos section (1997-99). He was a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers.
An Officer of the Order of the Niger, Nigeria’s national honor bestowed on him in 2012, he was the pro-chancellor of the Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin, from May 2019 to July 2020.
Until his death, Inyang was the CEO of Seyang Limited, a flourishing civil engineering company in Nigeria.
The late engineer was a devout Catholic who was committed to charity, and was known to have set up endowment funds for the advancement of education in Nigeria, one of which was Isabella Medical Scholarship Fund in honour of his late wife, Isabella Inyang, who was an eye surgeon.
Each beneficiary of the scholarship – medical students who had a minimum of 4.0/5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average – received N250,000 per year.
Over 30 students who benefited so far from the Isabella Medical Scholarship Fund are now practicing in various branches of medicine within and outside Nigeria.
Inyang also established a fund at St. Louise’s Inclusive School, Ikot Ekpene, to support the education of physically challenged people.
According to Anietie Usen, a media aide to Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Inyang’s passing was “shocking and sad”.
“I worked with him at NDDC when he was the Rep of Oil Companies on the Board of NDDC. He was a very refined, decent, humane, friendly and brilliant gentleman, who was highly respected and loved by all and sundry,” Usen said on Facebook
