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Entrance to Akinbo town.
Twelve of the host communities where
cement manufacturing company, Lafarge Cement Wapco Plc, has its plants
in Ogun State have asked the firm to give them a portion of its annual
profit.
Some leaders of the communities which
include the Chairman, Lafarge host communities’ employment committee,
Chief Olaleye Olalekan; Baale of Ewekoro, Chief Satar Lawal; Baale of Akinbo, Chief Rasheed Balogun; Baale
of Egba Ajegunle, Chief Joshua Oniyitan; and a youth leader, Mr. Segun
Oniyitan, on Thursday commended many interventions made by the company
in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility, but they noted that it
could still do better by giving them a part of its annual profit.
Olalekan said, “We believe what they are
giving us now are mere palliatives, they should start thinking of how
we will get a certain percentage of their annual profit.
“When one considers what is being taken out and what we get in return, it is definitely not enough. They can do better.”
The leaders commended the firm’s
Managing Director, Mr. Joe Hudson, and plant managers, who they said had
been proactive in attending to issues bordering on their safety and
environment.
They said they agreed with the company’s
plan to relocate the residents of Oke Oko Sekoni and Oke Oko Egbado
communities in the Ewekoro area due to their closeness to Lafarge’s
quarry site. They, however, urged Lafarge to increase the pace of work
at the proposed site.
The Baale of Ewekoro said
though the air pollution occasioned by the blasting and processing
activities of Lafarge in the area had reduced from 100 per cent to 75
per cent due to a dust collector installed there, he noted that the
communities affected would be happier if the dust level would be totally
eradicated.
Lawal said, “In our communities, we grow
vegetables and other crops. The dust from the production activities of
Lafarge usually settles on them. This means we have to wash them
thoroughly before sending them to market or cooking. We are appealing to
the company to bring the dust to zero level.”
The Baale of Akinbo said work
had commenced on the concrete road being constructed for Akinbo
community. He appealed to the company to expedite action on it since the
rainy season had caught up with the work.
He said, “The company has commenced work
on the concrete 2.5km road it promised us in Akinbo, about 500 metres
have been done. We want it to expedite action on it, because the rains
are here and we all know the implication of that.
Balogun said, “We want to commend the
company for its many interventions in the area of health care,
education, electrification, potable water, economic empowerment and
offering of scholarship to our children in many communities. But we
believe they can still do more.”
The Baale of Egba Ajegunle,
said about 70 per cent of Lafarge’s production activities were in
Ewekoro. He called on the management of the company to employ more
youths in the area.
The Ewekoro Forum youth leaderalso echoed the Baale.
He said, “We are appealing to the management of Lafarge to employ more youths. The number they have employed so far is too low.
“They should also empower us economically by giving us contracts and distributorship opportunities.
“This is one of the ways they will justify the huge gains they are making from our communities.”
About Unknown
Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.
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