Members of 10 communities, spread across two Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Edo, yesterday commended the management of Okomu oil for it commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) to them.
The communities, which are located in Uhumwonde and Ovia North- East LGAs of Edo, include Odiguetue, Umokpe, Ehrue, Agbanikaka, Owan, Oke, Odighi, Ekpan, Irue, and Ekpan.
Some of the members of the communities who spoke with newsmen through two of their representatives, at Odighi, particularly praised the management of the company for its infrastructural and human capacity development efforts since 2014.
Mr Isaac Osasuyi from Odiguetue, said the communities had come to identify Okomu oil company as the only known organisation that had shown concern for the welfare of the members of the communities, adding that many of the localities lacked basic social amenities prior to their contact with the company.
“We can conveniently refer to Okomu Company as the only government we know in these localities.
“Okomu company has provided us with so many amenities such as schools, water, power, hospital and housing among others.
“Were you here yesterday during the commissioning of the company’s extension 2 plantations, the crowd present, would have explained it better to show our appreciation to Okomu management,” he said.
Mr Douglas Pere, from Odighi, said: “We are glad that the extension 2 plantation commissioned yesterday will also boost employment opportunity for our people.
“The areas are gradually becoming like cities from its old usual rural setting because of human and economic activities on daily basis,” he said.
The managing director of Okomu oil palm, Dr Graham Hefer, had on Wednesday in the course of the inauguration of its extension 2 plantation, said that the company remained committed to contributing to the further growth of the economy of the state and the country through job creation, improved productivity and improvement of the living standards of the poeple.
Hefer said that the company always designed robust CSR programme in millions of naira each year, adding that the host communities had been worthy partners in progress.