By Amin Kef Sesay
According to residents living around one of the leading water bottling companies in the country, Gulf Mineral Water and Beverage Company, situated at 5 Smart Farm, Off Wilkinson Road in Freetown, they are totally angry and disappointed over the way and manner the company is taking their Social Corporate Responsibility (CSR) as something for granted.
They added that it is no secret that the company is making millions of Leones in terms of profits and at the same time damaging one of the side roads linking their community to the major Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
As far as they are concerned, Gulf Mineral Water and Beverage Company needs to step up in terms of their operations to reach appreciable and acceptable standards that are beneficial to the community.
Information gathered from the residents indicates that the company is making huge profits from the sale of the products that it manufactures, which are sold mainly to hotels, supermarkets, entertainment complexes, among other many market outlets with a sizable quantity exported to neighboring countries, and yet it is openly and conspicuously apparent that it is not living up to expectation by giving back to society.
Lamentably, the company stands guilty of not effectively honoring its Corporate Social Responsibility within its area of operations. As a matter of fact, it was the expectation of many residents living within the locality that the Gulf Water Management would, from time to time, facilitate the maintenance of the road that leads to where the company is located but that is far from taking place.
Indeed, the road is really in a deplorable state and is a complete eyesore. Management of the company has never expressed the willingness or interest to ensure that repairing of the bridge which their trucks damaged in addition to the rugged road takes place.
Worst is the fact that the company’s fleets of vehicles used to supply their products are parked haphazardly along the narrow road used by the residents thereby making it extremely difficult for residents owning vehicles to conveniently have places for safe parking.
To add insult to injury the water which is used in the production line is bought from the Guma Valley Water Company whose vehicles also contribute to worsening the condition of the road.
According to residents, what is an indisputable fact is that the road is, on a daily basis, damaged by Gulf Water Company’s vehicles and as best practice demands it must be the responsibility of the Management of this company to ensure that regular maintenance of the road is undertaken but regrettably this is not the situation and every day the problem keeps escalating to the discomfort and annoyance of residents.
What this medium also learnt is that Gulf Water Management of the company has made it a deliberate policy to employ casual workers, who are in the majority alongside permanent employees. It was understood that the casual workers are paid below the minimum wage and not subjected to other employment benefits.
Many affected residents and the media believe that it is high time the Government prevails on Gulf Water Management to undertake proper maintenance of this road to bring it up to appreciable standard as soon as possible, otherwise the situation would continue to deteriorate.
It must be strongly stated that though it is the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) that is constitutionally charged with the mandate for the construction or rehabilitation (maintenance) of roads in different parts of the country, however, it is considered best practice, by many, for Management of the company to facilitate the process.
As a matter of fact the road is not a major one that requires too many resources, in terms of finance, machinery and manpower, to undertake its maintenance from time to time which understandably should not pose a major challenge for the company. At the end of the day the company too stands to benefit in terms of contributing to the good conditions of their very vehicles.
For now as the situation stands Gulf Mineral Water and Beverage Company is not operating according to how a good manufacturing company of that nature should be doing and residents within the community are not in any way benefitting in any shape or form.
The timely intervention of the Government and other stakeholders is highly significant at this material time in order to prevent residents from continuing to suffer the inconveniences that the dilapidated road continues to pose.
