Beneficiaries of the intervention schemes of the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant have described the support by the company as massive and impactful.
Report from an independent vox populi shows that aside being the highest tax payer in the country, the Dangote Cement Plc is seen as towering even higher in the area of social intervention through what respondents have described as well planned Corporate Social Responsibility schemes.
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The company said most of the CSR schemes are contained in the mutually agreed Community Development Agreement(CDA).
Respondents from the survey spoke glowingly of the multimillion health facility at Iwaa Community built by the DCP Obajana.
Members of the communities who spoke during the survey said the Obajana-Kabba concrete road has greatly eased mobility, while describing it as the most important road in the state.
The 43km Obajana-Kabba road project is said to be the country’s longest concrete road project, gulping billions of naira.
Describing the President of the Dangote Group Alhaji Aliko Dangote, traditional leader of Iwaa, HRH Oba Francis O. Migbole, who spoke on behalf of the mining communities, said: “He is a man to emulate, a man who has contributed positively to the world at large.”
Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council and the Obaro of Kabba HRM Solomon Dele Owoniyi said the concrete has elevated the status of his people in Nigeria.
The paramount ruler said: “Without this road, Okun people would have been completely shot out of the state capital, Lokoja. We are most grateful. I don’t know why the arrangement of the road stopped at Kabba, it would have terminated at Egbe or Ilorin.”
The Bajana of Obajana Land, Oba Idowu Senibi described the project as gigantic and the first of its kind anywhere in Nigeria.
“Dangote is our son. We would protect his huge investment and gigantic concrete road. I am happy that this is happening in my lifetime and in my Kingdom.
“This is a great opportunity for us and many generations to come. Our society will be opened as you can see vehicles and commercial activities have started coming up. May God Almighty bless Dangote and all his staff.”
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility drive in Kogi State, the Dangote Cement Plc is empowering community promoted Cooperative societies in the plant and mining communities to promote entrepreneurial activities.
For this, His Royal Highness, the Olu-Apata,Oba Dr. Frederick D.O. Balogun, had expressed appreciation and pledged his community’s continuing support for the company.
The traditional leader assured that the fund shall be judiciously disbursed and reinvested by the about 100 members of the cooperative.
He spoke glowingly of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, describing him as God’s sent, adding that his contribution to the people of Kogi State cannot be quantified.
Other areas of interventions in the communities are: the construction of boreholes, granting of yearly scholarship, power supply, employment, school buildings, library construction, supply of modern furniture to schools and rehabilitations of internal roads.
Only at the beginning of this year, the company donated tricycles to its host communities to enhance their capacity to connect each other with less stress. The beneficiary communities are: Obajana, Apata, Iwaa and Oyo.
