By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Gombe State Government has tasked the management of Ashaka Cement on the need to provide more projects to their host Communities.
The Deputy Governor, Manasseh Daniel Jatau, Madel the call at the commissioning ceremony of some projects executed by the company to it’s host Communities as part of it’s Corperate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Projects executed by the company to the host communities include, solar powered boreholes, maiganga doctors quarters, blocks of classrooms, roads rehabilitation and scholarships among others.
The Deputy Governor who appreciated the company for various interventions in different Communities said Ashaka Cement PLC since 1974, had attracted a lot of developments to it’s hosts.
He noted that the interventions ranged from social infrastructure, job creation and revenue drive towards overall sustainable socioeconomic development of not only the areas but the entire Gombe State.
The Deputy Governor however tasked the management of the company on the need to contract the deplorable road from the junction leading to the company.
He said communities should be taken care of in a manner that will alleviate their sufferings thereby mitigating the need for agitations and avoid frictions that takes place between companies and host communities.
Managing Director, Ashaka Cement PLC, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu said the Community Day is to encourage Community relations and to appreciate understanding by way of providing and commissioning projects for the people.
According to him, “We at Lafarge Africa PLC, a member of Holcim Group, the world leader in Building Solution Materials, place a very high premium on the development of our host communities by ensuring that we carry out our operations in the safest and environmentally conducive atmosphere.
“Our Sustainability Pillars of Climate and Energy, Circular Economy, Nature and People attest to our cardinal principle of attaching high priority to the social wellbeing of the communities around our operations.
“In the area of corporate social responsibility, over the years, the company has provided rural roads, electricity supply installations and connection of communities to the national grid and provision of healthcare facilities.
“Others are scholarships, modern agricultural programmes aimed at boosting the capacity of subsistence farmers, fertilizer distribution, provision of educational facilities to the neighbouring communities, and the entire state (such as classrooms, laboratories, exams halls and the computer based JAMB Centre – one of the largest in the North-east, if not the largest)”, he stated.
Corporate Affairs Manager of Ashaka Cement Company, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed assured the Communities of the company’s continuous support in the areas Social Responsibilities in accordance to the five year work plan of the company.
Funakaye Local Government Caretaker Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Cheldo, who was represented by the Head of Department, Education and Social Development, Alhaji Buba Ardo Tongo, appreciated the gesture of the company towards impacting on the lives of the people in the local government.
In his remarks, the Emir of Funakaye, Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed Kwairanga the fourth, enjoined his subjects to avoid anything that may affect the relationship between the company and the host communities but to channel every grievance through him.
