Corporate Social Responsibility has been described as a strategy towards building mutual benefits between companies and their host communities with considerations for social, economic and environmental impacts in line with the Human Rights of the people.
The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraju Ishola Adekunbi stated this while declaring open a Stakeholders forum on a “bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of the Ogun State Corporate Social Responsibility Commission and other matters connected therewith”
The Speaker represented by his Deputy, Hon Olakunle Oluomo said that government aimed at spreading the dividends of democracy to every part of the State by considering the adoption of the Corporate Social Responsibility law as a strategy to achieve it.
He assured that the legislative arm would continue to pass more people oriented laws meant to support and promote businesses as well as providing better life for the people of the State.
In his address, the Sponsor of the Bill, Hon. Tunde Sanusi said that it would address various challenges encountered by host communities a result of industrial effects on residents and Industrial rights of the employees as well as the communities.
He assured that the Bill would tackle the problems from the Government’s angle, Corporate Bodies and the host communities in order to provide more qualitative infrastructural facilities for the people of the State.
In his statement, the Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, Mr. Saleem Adegunwa noted that challenges of organizations are different as well as their demands, adding that the implementation of the law should be properly channeled to attract more investors into the State.
Contributing, the Nigerian Association of Ogun State Small Scale Industrialists, Mr. Olusegun Oga, advised that the informal sector businesses should be encouraged under the CSR law to further contribute their quota in line with their corporate decision.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, the Director, Legal Drafting, Mr. Segun Olaotan said the law would strengthen the relationships between companies and host communities, stressing that it would reduce numerous litigation in respect of companies’ relationship with host communities.
Packaged by Hazeez Ayansola
