Members of communities playing host to multinational companies have been urged to leverage the presence of these companies for the advancement of their lives and that of their communities.
This was the thrust of the lecture at the bi-annual community training for communities neighbouring Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc.
The annual training which attracted representatives from over eighteen communities in Ovia South West, Ovia North East, and Uhunmwonde Local Government Areas also saw the community representatives having a practical knowledge of the need to protect and preserve the environment’s flora and fauna.
Speaking on the topic, leveraging the presence of multi-national companies in an environment, guest lecturer, Mr. Kingsley Ehinmwinhoghia noted, that communities playing host to multi-national companies are supposed to leverage the presence of these companies in the upliftment of their economic status.
Mr. Ehinmwinhogia noted that these companies aside from employing members of these communities also serve as a source of business opportunities for businessmen and women who are willing to explore these opportunities.
He added that while the communities expect much from the company, they must realize that, they have a crucial role to play by mobilizing support for the growth of the company within the community, creating an environment that is crisis-free as well as acting as ambassadors of the company.
Welcoming the participants to the training, the Human Resource Manager, Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, Mr. Ikponwonsa Osunbor said the management of the company knowing the benefits members of its neighbouring communities can derive from the company organized the training to help the members of the communities explores these avenues.
Mr. Osunbor revealed that as an agriculture company, members of the communities must realize that the majority of the opportunities are on the farm rather than in the office adding that if someone accepts an opportunity on the farm does not mean that they will end up in the farm.
He added that this kind of training are deliberate attempt by the company in improving the lives of members of the communities in addition to its developmental efforts through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in the various communities.
Some representatives of the communities’ present including Osifo Benard from Ekpan Community, Yanbor Samson from Okomu Community, and Evelyn Okifo from Uhiere community commended Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC for its interest in not only providing infrastructures in their communities but also in the improvement of the economic life of members of the communities.
The representatives of the community were thereafter taking on a guided tour of the regenerated forest sites in Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC.
The company’s senior health safety and environment (HSE) officer, Efe Emmanuel John-Onyijen told the community representatives on the tour that the company is currently embarking on forest regeneration because of its desire to protect, preserve, and conserve the forest flora and fauna.
Mr. Emmanuel noted that management in 2020 planted 6,137 new endemic trees in an area of 5.93 hectares within the company’s concessions and is currently mapping more areas for further regeneration and urged the community representatives to support the company by encouraging their members to avoid entering into the company’s forest area for logging.
