By: Felix Ikpotor
Sequel to the unending crisis among communities and companies operating in the Niger Delta region due to poor execution of corporate social responsibilities (CSR), the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, Rivers State chapter is now calling for stakeholders engagements by companies in drawing out acceptable CSR packages.
Mr Paulinus Nsirim, Rivers NIPR chairman made this call during the Sir O.B Fubara Memorial Gold Paper Lecture/ Annual General Meeting of the chapter held in Port Harcourt.
He said there has been a debate if the companies in the Niger Delta are really carrying out CSR in their areas of operation as their CSR doesn’t seem to address the needs of the communities but rather what they feel it’s necessary for them, hence the lecture.
“Corporate social responsibility has become a topical issue especially in the Niger Delta as we have a lot of oil multinationals operating in the area.
“There has been a nagging issue of corporate social responsibilities, if the companies are really doing enough for Niger Delta communities where they operate and ofcourse, if you live in the Niger Delta you will understand that we don’t get social responsibility as commensurate with the kind of oil exploration that’s taking place here.
“Corporate social responsibility in some communities has led to community crisis because the organisations employs divide and rule tactics. They don’t do major stakeholders engagements because if you don’t have major stakeholder engagements to involve the communities in producing a corporate social responsibility programme and policy then it will fail”, he said.
He added: “What we are advocating with this lecture is that the communities and organisations need to collaborate to workout corporate social responsibilities that would benefit the communities maximally in order to promote a shared prosperity of both the companies and communities where they operate”.
Nsirim noted that the event was put together to celebrate and immortalise late Sir O. B Fubara, whom he described as a public relations icon with regards to his contributions to PR in the country while alive.
In his address at the event, the Amanyanabo of Abonnema in Akuku-Toru local government area of the state, HRM, King Disreal Gbobo Bob-Manuel expressed gratitude to Rivers NIPR for honouring a great son of the area.
Bob-Manuel noted that the late Fubara contributed immensely to the growth of Abonnema, his hometown while alive and encourage participants at the lecture to live well so that they can be remembered for good when they are no more.
In his lecture, the guest lecturer, Chief Chris Biriowu said companies should use CRS as a public relations tool to launder their image in their area of operation in order to gain the acceptance of the stakeholders.
He stated that the failure of companies operating in the Niger Delta to pay attention to CRS has made communities to engage in attacks on installations, strikes, protests, piracy etc to force them to take up their responsibilities.
To address the frequent community-company clashes as a result of poor CSR, he recommended that there should be remediation of the environment where pollution have occurred like in Ogoniland, empowerment scheme for the people, certain jobs should be reserved for indigenes, infrastructural development schemes, good ethical practices, graduate trainee schemes and contracts awarded to communities. These if done, he said would engender cordial community and company relations in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking onbehalf of the O.B Fubara family, his son Daerego Fubara appreciated the chapter for keeping the legacies of their father alive by virtue of the lecture.
He said they are particularly proud that the development of the chapter which their father championed is still being promoted even after his death.
