The Speaker, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem, has emphasized the need for Companies doing business in the State to live up to their cooperative social duties with their host Communities.
The Speaker gave the charge during a courtesy call on the management of Niger Mills PLC in Calabar.
Ayambem noted that the purpose of the visit was the familiarize the Assembly with the various institutions in the State and commended the improvement so far recorded in the areas of the offensive stench and the cleaning of the gutters along the Mills area through the MCC roundabout.
The Speaker insisted to know the level of improvement on the continuous cleaning process of the environment, as well as members knowing the functionality of Flower Mills in Calabar
Ayambem also emphasized the need for the periodic review of the employment quota for the hosts’ Communities whenever vacancies are created from their headquarters, adding that indigenes can as well be in the management and not just in gatekeeping jobs.
Earlier, General Manager, Niger Mills PLC, Mr. Ehimiton Gregory, said the Company has Community Representatives working with them as a team, noting that the roles of the Representatives are to liaise with the Communities on agreed areas of concern yearly and brief the company for actions.
The Manager maintained that the Company also carry out the training of their manpower requirement from among the Communities, and dishes out yearly scholarships, but lamented the poor altitude of youths from among the host Communities, who most times are not interested in the long-term measures but prefer the ready-made provision.
The presentation shows that from 2015 to date the company has put in over two hundred million Naira as part of their cooperate social responsibilities.
The visit climaxed with the exchange of Assembly’s symbols and other presentations.