Agha Ibiam
6 July 2009
Lagos — The Ilupeju town planning way residential park is a place to visit anytime any day. Initially the place used to serve as a hideout for criminals even before night falls. But today, world renowned parks can be compared to the one that was commissioned recently.
Elated at the occasion was the Chairman of Ilupeju Residents' Association, Prof. Michael Uyi Jegede, who acknowledged that as far as the Ilupeju resident's were concerned, their joy knew no bound to see the park commissioned, a long time dream that came through.
"We are grateful for what PZ Cussons Nigeria has done. We want a park that would be a pride to the organisation and the residents. We will make sure that their shared objectives will not fail," the Professor of Law said while representing the association at the event.
On the day of the commissioning, decoration of the park took quite good some hours. Workmen at the site almost failed to meet the deadline as it coincided with the time the programme was billed to start. A particular worker fully concentrated on cleaning the plaque that is about four meters height, whilst another worker, a lady, assisted to mop the floor where dignitaries stood to unveil the plaque. At last, the event went well.
Developing the park had been a thorn on the flesh to the association, of which there were contributing through their nose to ensure that the place was properly built. But with the assistance of PZ, their burden was made less.
Jegede said, "We very much appreciate it because we have been on it for quite some time, planning how to go about it, thinking here and there, but when PZ came in, it hastened the development because there were able to provide us with the necessary attention both financially and otherwise."
Jegede argued that what stands as a need, depends on how one looks at it because if people had seen what the place was before, one will not be wrong to say it is the greatest need because for a long time it was a hideout for armed robbers, gangsters, hoodlums and people who contributed as dangerous elements to the society and the entire residents.
"They have stolen people's property, harmed people and maimed a lot of lives there," he said.
The Chairman, PZ Cussons International Nigeria, Mr. Anthony Green, said helping communities in which they operate has been responsibilities they cannot overlook. Also as an entrepreneurial conglomerate, he said they have remained true to their mission and continues to enhance the lives of all consumers through quality products and innovation for more than 100 years.
The company which he said started as a small trading outpost, established at the turn of the 19th century, has become one of the biggest conglomerates in Nigeria and listed in the Nigerian Stock market since 1972 with over 80,000 shareholders.
"Today we are fulfilling the needs and aspirations of every Nigerian household, providing products and such as home care, personal care, white and brown goods, food and nutrition, motorcycles and light vehicles, generators and other equipment. The product range of the company covers a wide spectrum of the need of the Nigerian consumers and is found in almost every home in country," Green said.
Commissioning the park was not new to PZ as they have always supported developmental projects in their host communities, not only providing employment, but also being involved in community projects but hitherto on an adhoc manner, he said.
"We have since year 2007 decided that the company's social responsibility programmes will be discharged in a more systematic manner through the PZ Cussons Foundation. I will like to use this opportunity to restate the commitment of PZ Cussons to the Nigerian market and the national intention not to relocate our business from Nigeria," he said.
Chairman PZ Cussons Nigeria, Prof. Emmanuel Edozien, said the park is one of the take off projects embarked upon by the Foundation, which is a non-profit organization, formed and fully sponsored by PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc. He said it serves as a vehicle through which the organisation could implement its corporate social responsibility programmes.
PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, the chairman said, has always on a voluntary basis integrated social and environmental concerns in its business operations and integration with its host communities. The formation of the Foundation, which is composed of 15 member board of trustees, is however informed by the decision to leave the policy formulation and implementation of the sponsor's social responsibility programmes in the hands of an independent entity.
On the other hand, the short term aim of the Foundation he explained is to concentrate its efforts in the communities and localities where PZ Cussons has presence, such as manufacturing facility and distribution depots or warehouse. The company, which has both its administrative head office as well as one of its manufacturing facilities located in Ilupeju, is one of the most qualified to benefit from the Foundation's gestures.
After the Foundation is fully established, Edozien said it will extend the gestures to other parts of the country. The organisation focus will be on education, health, road rehabilitation and provision of potable water; thus impacting the quality of lives in the country in meaningful ways and ultimately improve the welfare of Nigerians by working in partnership with local communities.
"Coincidentally the identified areas of focus are some of the agreed set of goals under the millennium development goals (MDGs). It is in pursuance of these objectives that Ilupeju has been chosen among the first set of beneficiaries of the Foundation's philanthropic gestures because Ilupeju has been long recognised as an inseparable part of the business of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc," he said.
The project, which requires finishing touches, according to the Vice Chairman of PZ, Mr. Tunde Oyelola, gulped about N12 million so far excluding the maintenance of the park from time to time.
As an organisation, he said they have taken this kind of projects to many cities. The Foundation has provided borehole water at Losi-Oba and Odogunyan in Ikorodu where they have a factory. Also in Eziama and Eziukwu in Aba, Abia State, the Foundation has provided classrooms and borehole water. This gesture has also been extended to Minna, Niger State and other parts of the country.
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