A multi-national company in Rivers state is deeply involved in sustainable development efforts to its host community as GODWIN EGBA reports.
Modern society is in a passionate drive for sustainable development that can better the lot of its people. This quest comes in the form of investment in education, healthcare, skills acquisition scheme and infrastructural projects among others.
It is also important to note that in any society where the provision of these human needs are making impact, there is a force driving the process either single-handedly or as collective effort. And some of the critical factors that yield positive results in the development include humility, integrity, accountability, transparency, trust and most of all the fear of God.
Its corporate social responsibility
Elano Investments Limited deeply rooted in Port-Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state manages 7.5percent shares of the host communities of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited. The company is visibly raising its bar in corporate social responsibility (CSR) template, soaring higher and higher in sustainable projects development in its host communities. The driving force behind this company is its board chairman board of directors, Chief Gomba Okanje who is described as an unassuming, astute investment/human manager and an honest servant-leader to be trusted when dealing with.
Chief Okanje, who is an indigene of Okerewa community in Eleme local government area of the state, came to limelight when the disbursement of the 7.5% Indorama-host communities’ shares began amidst crises and judicial litigations among communities in disagreement over sharing formula. However, all that has been put to rest on the bed of peace.
According to an Aleto chief who attested to this, “Chief Okanje does not compromise equitable distribution of the funds to all the deserving beneficiaries through their representatives who are board members of the company. This stance, has today proved granite evidence where there are visible individual project developments in the host communities ranging from many young men marry wives, building houses, establish small scale businesses opportunities as educational pursuit for their children, among others,” the chief said.
The host communities of Indorama Petrochemicals Company are now regarded as communities in goldmine as long as their shares in the company last in the management of Elano Investments Limited. Temporary employment and contract opportunities are at their disposal when opportunities arise.
Beyond the height of the above existing opportunities, Elano Investments Limited has also become a beautiful bride to form a common bond with. The company initiates sustainable development projects which it executes as part of its CSR to the host communities.
Okanje disclosed that their focus now is on health insurance portfolio, education and infrastructural development, housing estate, security and skills acquisition, among others.
The chairman and his board members had their 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM) few months back in Calabar, Cross River state recently when he disclosed the stance of the company to ensure that members of the host communities are kept abreast in order to feel the impact of its sustainable development projects.
Chief Okanje in his remarks said, “This AGM is remarkable as it comes after a period of turbulence in the host communities and a new awakening to the realities of our environment. When we met at our 5th AGM, we the host informed you that your company was entering a stage of diversification and consolidation to ensure the achievement of sustainable development,” he said.
He disclosed to his audience that the health insurance programmes had a portfolio for 6,600 beneficiaries from all the host communities and had saved many lives through critical procedures such as caesarean deliveries, regular preventive medicine and hospitalisation.
Its educational impact
Other area is educational programme which the chairman said has offered more than 200 bursary awards to students in tertiary educational institutions all over the country and had as well assisted many recipients to earn their academic qualifications while the infrastructural programme had opened up the host communities through networks and double sided drains.
Post graduate programme was not left out as Chief Okanje proved to the world that his human development drive is beyond the Indorama – host communities in Eleme as he commissioned the ‘Gomba Okanje Legislative Chamber’, first LAWSAN Legislature chamber in Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
The chamber located at the Faculty of Law in the institution was sponsored and equipped with state-of-art facilities by the Elano boss. As in every democratic system, the RSU law faculty has its executive and judicial arms, Chief Okanje is believed to have topped the notch by adding up the first legislative chambers which ranked the university the first in the country to have a fully equipped legislative chambers.
Chief Okanje noted that, “As humans, we all need a better society, but if we don’t contribute towards it, we can’t achieve it. What you are seeing today is my little contribution towards a better society for our youths who by the grace of God would lead us tomorrow,” he submitted.
Recognition from traditional institution
According to an age-long saying, “Any humble child, who washes his hands clean, eats with the elders”. This played out in the month of May 2019 at the palace of the acting king of Eleme, (HRM) King Philip Obele in Aleto where Chief Okanje was inducted into the traditional and chieftaincy institutions of the Aleto Clan Chiefs on Tuesday, April 16th, 2019.
Blueprint learnt that what qualified the Elano boss is his humility and contribution to his community, Okerewa, Aleto and to the society in general, a source noted. Specifically, the paramount ruler of Okerewa community, Chief Osilaechu Mgbimgbii who presented Okanje to the Aleto Council of Chiefs through the acting king of Eleme, His Majesty, Philip Obele, described him as a man of right standing whose good works had contributed to the growth and development of Okerewa and Aleto communities.
Mgbimgbii said his community had been transformed through community-based projects initiated by Chief Okanje and stressed that his induction ceremony gave him the right and privilege to henceforth be part of Aleto Council of Chiefs, more so that he had successfully performed all the traditional rites and requirements to be inducted.
On his part, the royal majesty, King Obele, who doubles as clan head of Aleto community admitted Chief Okanje without hesitation into the ‘Ogbo Nkporon Aleto’, charged him to see the occasion as a call to service and greater responsibility.
King Obele described Chief Okanje as a good man who has put smiles on the faces of many, even as he also charged him to remain steadfast and not relent in his good work to humanity.
Chief Okanje’s check-list of soaring feat is not a sycophant-trumpet blowing to say the least. It would be recalled that he had provided post-graduate scholarship for deserving Eleme scholars to study in the United Kingdom (U.K), sponsored 45 youths in skills acquisition at Maritime Academy Oron in Akwa Ibom state.
Other areas
Others include training of 11 women in Catering at the University of Port-Harcourt Centre for Entrepreneurial Education and the construction of not less than 6 km roads with drainages for the host communities.
Elano Company has also donated pick-up vans to the Eleme Police Division, youth council to tackle crimes in the communities. In recognition of all these, Okanje bagged the Entrepreneurship Man of the Year 2016 award by the PAN African International Magazine. No wonder, it’s said that a person with humility takes genuine interest in others and is willing to learn from them.
“Overall, humble people built in integrity are more connected to others,” as the saying goes.
