By Amin Kef Sesay
Humanitarian gestures and philanthropy could not be done if the notion is uphold and maintained that since taxes are paid to any Government of the day then all must lie back and wait for development programmes, of whatever magnitude, to be undertaken by that Government simply because taxes are paid. Elementary Economics tells us that human wants are many amidst scarce resources to be allocated to satisfy varying needs. Government has so much on its plate to address warranting individuals and organizations to, from time to time, step in to undertake certain development interventions.
History is replete of patriots, well-meaning individuals who have demonstrated a high sense of commitment to uplift their fellow compatriots from the abyss of poverty by giving humanitarian gestures not to talk of championing certain community development projects that impacted positively and continue to do so on the lives of the vast majority residing within those communities where those projects were implemented. In this case we are referring to well-meaning citizens. This trend continues to date.
But besides good individuals, who are contributing meaningfully to development, there is the expectation that companies located within certain operational areas should help foster development via what is known as Corporate Social Responsibility.
According to Jason Fernando, a notable political economist, “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders and the public. By practicing CRS, also called Corporate Citizenship, companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society including economic, social and environmental.”
As one school of thought tried to argue it is not strictly obligatory on the part of companies to honor their CSRs since these companies are paying taxes to Government furthering that it is therefore the responsibility of Government to facilitate certain development programmes from the taxes it collects from these companies. However, this medium begs to differ from that notion.
Best practice requires that it is but prudent on the part of corporate institutions or companies to champion certain development interventions in their areas of operations under their Corporate Social Responsibilities.
This brings to the fore the burning issue relating to one of the well established water bottling companies in the country, Gulf Mineral Water and Beverage Company, which is situated at 5 Smart Farm, Off Wilkinson Road in Freetown.
The company stands accused of failing to be honoring its Corporate Social Responsibility in the locality where it is located. Residents of the community have expressed their indignation against the Management of the company. Of serious concern to them is the way the operations of the company is seriously and continually damaging the road on which the company is situated which is also used by residents.
It is indisputable that the fleets of the company’s vehicles that constantly ply the route to and fro, coupled with the Guma Valley Water Company water bouncers that supply water to the company, closely on a 24 hours basis, are jointly negatively contributing to immensely exacerbate the deplorable condition of the road.
The situation is one that is so mind boggling and added to that the haphazard manner in which the company’s vehicles that supplies its bottled water are packed with reckless abandon makes it quite difficult, if not very impossible for residents with vehicles to have convenient spaces to pack and move out their vehicles with ease leading to frustration and despair
When a concerned patriotic resident raised up the issue months ago with the Management of the company, the Managing Director, sincerely promised that it is on their top priority list to ensure that they take care of that creating the impression that it will soon be done. However, since that promise was made time has elapsed and there are no signs of any positive move on the part of the company’s Management to fulfill their promise and the hopes of residents has faded away by that insincerity.
It will also surprise many to know that the company is not strictly complying to safety standards for its workers, most of whom are deliberately used as casual workers. The workers do not have safety equipment while working within the factory posing serious health hazards. Besides, their generator plant is positioned in such a way that it produces gaseous emissions that the powerless and unsuspecting employees regularly inhale just in a bid of eking a living as other alternatives are seemingly out of their reach.
Interestingly, after reneging to fulfill its promise, this author, who happens to be residing within the locality and one of those affected drew the attention of Management of the company to their unfilled promise, they took offence and hurriedly convened a Press Conference on the 1st October, 2021 at the company’s premise during which Management made a lame attempt to refute their insincerity which was brought to light amidst other inadequacies which the company stands guilty of.
Instead of seriously sticking to the issue relating to the deplorable condition of the road, lamentably Management tried to brainwash journalists that I am on a personal vendetta.
They told journalists that simply because they did not honor my request of giving me an advert that is the reason why I have therefore decided to pick up a fight against the company. That assertion has proven to be totally incorrect and baseless as there has never been an instance when I have approached Management to solicit an advert. That apart how much adverts do the company gives out? It is no boast but I am proud to say my news medium do not have a dearth of adverts….
They further tried to pull wool over the eyes of media practitioners that because they have been having issues relating to a packing space that is why I became so infuriated to an extent that I decided to paint the company in a bad light.
As if they convened the Press Conference to solely target me, Management went to the extent of stating that they are in support of some of their workers who have decided to gang up and physically attack and manhandle me because I am trying to destroy their source of living when in actual fact what I am doing is fighting for a genuine cause. For now I do not take this threat lightly.
Management furthered to misinform the journalists and some Civil Society activists present during the Press Conference that I am in the habit of bragging that journalists who visit the company, for one reason or the other, are my juniors in the profession.
That allegation, it must be noted, was a botched attempt to trivialize the bigger issue as if I am bent on championing the cause of the maintenance of the road for personal aggrandizement, when in actual fact it is vividly apparent that I doing so in the interest of us the affected residents within the community. I am really sick and tired of frequently taking my vehicle to the garage for repairs because of the bad road and not to talk of the physiological trauma of struggling to pack my vehicle, sometimes after a long day in the office plus coming from evening service at the church and also to get out with ease.
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 faciltate 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.
As the situation now stands, most of the affected residents and the media believe that it is high time the Government, Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders prevail on the Gulf Water Management to undertake proper maintenance of the road in question in order to bring it up to an appreciable standard as soon as possible, otherwise the situation would continue to deteriorate to the discomfort of most of the residents living there. As for the other inadequacies it is up to the Ministry of Labour and Environment Protection Agency to step in.
The bottom line is that the residents are fed up with insincerity of the company. May common sense prevail!
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