Dangote Cement Okpella is committed to the development and social support of host communities

 

●Signs landmark development agreement with Okpella communities

Dangote Cement Management, Okpella, has signed a Social Development and Support Agreement with the Okpella host communities in Edo State, demonstrating its commitment to the development and overall well-being of the host communities and their people as a responsible corporate entity.

The signing of the Community Development Agreement (CDA) came even as the Edo State and Federal Governments commended the company for its proactivity in planning for the growth of host communities as a surefire means of promoting peaceful coexistence.

Dangote Cement PLC Okpella Plant Manager, Mr. Mohammed Ismaeel, during the CDA signing ceremony said the cement manufacturing company was in full compliance with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and the Minerals and Mining Regulation, 2011 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the company at Okpella, Mr. Ismaeel said the ceremony was very significant as it aimed to promote harmonious and mutual benefits between the cement company and the host communities.

“Today’s event is not only a demonstration of our compliance with these regulatory provisions as a responsible business organization, but also a demonstration of our commitment to the development and overall well-being of the communities that host us.

“For us as a company, we believe in the mantra, good neighbors are good business, so we are doing everything we can to maintain a harmonious relationship with all the communities we operate in,” added Ismaeel.

He added that the occasion marks the beginning of concrete infrastructural development and social support in the areas of education, improved access to healthcare, economic empowerment programs targeting youth, women and the rural population, improved access to drinking water, support for improved electrification and energy supply, among others.

The plant manager stressed that the CDA also provides scholarships for secondary and tertiary students to promote excellence in the educational path of indigent students in the host communities of Dangote Cement and Okpella.

He added that the CDA document clearly sets out the consultative framework for commitments, grievance management and obligations of both the plant and the host communities for mutual growth and development, stressing that it is clearly a path to define relationships, commitments, obligations and expectations with the potential to address immediate concerns and future social issues that may arise in the course of the relationship between the company and the host communities.

Ishmaeel then called on the host communities to uphold their end of the bargain by supporting and collaborating with the company in order to promote all-round development. “Rest assured that we are always ready to listen, engage and resolve all concerns,” he noted.

Speaking at the event, the Edo State Commissioner for Mines and Energy, Hon. Donatus Ojiefoh, who represented the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, commended the company’s management for taking the path of peace with the host communities, thereby pledging to always support investors who wish to invest in the state.

He assured the people of the communities that more investors are willing to come and invest in the state but that the people must be willing to cooperate and provide them with an enabling environment to operate.

Ojiefoh admitted that it is essential for students to study the mineral resources that their communities are rich in, so they can appreciate them.

In her speech, Etsako East Local Government Chairperson, Mrs Benedicta Atu, commended the company for signing the agreement despite the adversities and delay caused by some factors, saying it was good that the signing happened at the right time.

He called on companies operating within the local government to urgently contribute towards the payment for the monumentalization of the border between Okpella and Kogi State.

Speaking on behalf of the host communities, Paramount Chief Afiabor Peter, Secretary of the Ukhomunyio Village Chiefs Council, Afokpella, thanked Dangote’s Cement for signing the CDA, saying it was a welcome development as it would benefit all parties involved.

He expressed confidence that everything in the agreement thoroughly reflected the wishes and aspirations of the host communities and promised that the latter would commit to upholding their part of the agreement.

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