Corporate Social Responsibility: AKSG To Go After Companies

… Urges Govt Contractors, Corporate Institutions To Adopt A School, PHC
By Bassey Nkponam
IBESIKPO ASUTAN
The Akwa Ibom governor has promised that government will go after companies operating in the State but do not exercise their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Pastor Umo Eno who stated this Friday, during the inauguration of the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) at Ikot Nkwo in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, frowned at the abandonment of corporate social responsibilities by corporate institutions operating in Akwa Ibom, saying government desire people that can give back to the State.
Eno noted that all the corporate institutions operating in Akwa Ibom have stopped doing any corporate social responsibility, promising to go after such companies in his second year in office, as they cannot operate in the state without contributing to the development and people of the State.
He stressed that it was high time the corporate institutions show the corporate social responsibility they have done for the people in various communities they operate, urging them to compile all the list of their corporate social responsibility, as government will demand for them when the time comes.
   The state chief executive officer, who described the achievement as a bold initiative, restated the resolve of his administration to replicate the model in all the local government areas of the state, calling on organisations to intervene in the education and health sectors of the state.
  “This is a bold initiative, and at this point I dare say that Government cannot do it alone. Thus organisations, and corporate bodies shouldimmortalise their names in the execution of their corporate social responsibility, by adopting a school and building with government’s specification or exceed the specification, as government cannot do it alone.”
According to him, government cannot accept anything below the standard in its rural communities, urging all of contractors who handle government projects to exercise their corporate social responsibility in the State.
  “The HENSEK of this world, and all of the contractors that every time collect billions of Naira working in Akwa Ibom. The Mobil of this world, the Sterling Oil of this world. I have brought the manager of Sterling Oil here; I expected him to have adopted one school in Eastern Obolo. So, I am now calling on all of the companies in Akwa Ibom and Banks. Weprovide you security and you must support our drive to educate our children, to bring community health to our villages. So please, while I am talking, I see HENSEK here, I see Amitech, I see the Buletine. You people must adopt a school today.”
According to him, government will assess and require their contributions to the State, having provided security for them, ensuring that their businesses run well, and working on troubles that concern them, yet, no sign of appreciation from them for the conducive environment they have operated.
Eno said government does not require money from them but demands that they choose and initiate projects in the communities they operate to enable the people feel their impacts, adding that when their impacts are felt by the people, they will rise up and protect their investments.
  “We want people that can give back. Don’t just take all the money. We have all the corporate institutions in Akwa Ibom. I don’t want to mention their names. They have stopped doing any corporate social responsibility. They have killed that one completely. As we get into our second year in office, I will come for you. You cannot be in Akwa Ibom and you are not contributing anything to the development and the people of Akwa Ibom State. Let’s all be ready, that is the next battle we are going to face. You must show to Akwa Ibom people the corporate social responsibility you have done for our people in various communities that you operate. From the coast of Ibeno to the shores of Eastern Obolo in Akwa Ibom, please begin to compile all the list of your corporate social responsibility. We will ask you of it, we will assess and ask you what you have done and why are you here. We have provided security for you, we make sure your businesses run well, if there is trouble, the government works on it for you, but what have you done to show to our people that you appreciate the conducive environment which you have operated? We are not asking you to give us money, choose a project in the communities where you operate and do something. Let the people feel your impact, then the people themselves will rise up and protect your investments. That is how it should be”.
He thanked the contractor that handled the Primary Healthcare Centre at Ikot Nkwo in Ibesikpo Asutan, who in the course of building the healthcare facility, built a market, which was not part of the contract.
The governor, who later commissioned the market, provided by the company as its corporate social responsibility, was appreciative of the gesture and promised to approve two more projects for the company.
  “Because you have done this yourself, and you have shown leadership as a young company, be assured that I am approving two more projects for you immediately”, the governor promised.