From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Director, Dangote Cement Plant Obajana, Mr. JV Gungune, on Wednesday stressed the desire of the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to create alternative platform for empowerment and job creation in the mining Communities.
This according to him was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility drive and empowering Cooperative societies in the host and mining communities.
Th Director who disclosed this while speaking at the presentation of cheque to the Apata community on Wednesday said this gesture has become necessary because not everyone can be employed in the factory.
The Plant Director who was represented by the General Manager Community Affairs and Special Duties, Mr. Ade Anlemi, said the company expected the seed money to multiply when judiciously utilized.
Other communities already supported in the micro credit scheme via their respective cooperatives according to the Director are: Obajana, Iwwa and Oyo communities adding that the company would also support the communities in the training of members of the cooperatives to ensure the success of the scheme.
He pointed out that other areas of interventions in the communities are: the construction of boreholes, granting of yearly scholarship, power supply, job creation, school buildings and road rehabilitations respectively.
In his response, His Royal Highness the Olu Apata Dr. Frederick D.O. Balogun, 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.
In his remarks, the Deputy General Manager Community Affairs/Special Duties Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi said the training support for the cooperatives would commence in the first quarter of next year.
In the recent past the Dangote Cement Plc and the Aliko Dangote Foundation had injected several billions of naira into the state.
