In what has been described as a rare gesture of corporate demonstration of concern for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Chairman of Tongyi Group has donated five million Naira to the government of Benue State in order to alleviate the deplorable condition of IDPs in the state.
The Chairman who was represented by the Project Manager, Mr. Vincent Yaun and the Assistant Manager of its Makurdi Branch, Mr. Badmus Saka Owolabi, made the donation when they visited the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA) recently, in Makurdi.
The Chinese investment company’s chairman said the company identifies with the predicament of the people of Benue state. He expressed concern that some children have turned to orphans while women had become widows even as they are displaced from their homes.
He also commiserated with the families of those victims who lost their lives during the series of attacks in recent time.
The company promised to continue to render support to IDPs in the state noting that the challenge of taking care of the IDPs is enormous. “This donation is meant to cushion the suffering of the displaced persons in this trying period,” the chairman added.
In his response, the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Emmanuel Shior who received the cheque on behalf of Governor Samuel Ortom, commended Tongyi Group for the kind gesture which he said reflects the concern of the Chairman of Tongyi Group for the people of Benue state.
He thanked the company for being mindful of the plight of IDPs in Benue State, adding that the donation has come at a time when the needs of IDPs are on the rise.
According to Shior, “The donation is timely as the numbers of IDPs keep increasing by the day because of the consistent attacks.”
Inquiries made by our correspondent shows that Tongyi Group Limited has made significant contributions to the socio economic development of Nigeria especially in local employment, education and technology transfer as well as infrastructure and facility construction.
Tongyi Group which currently employs over two thousand Nigerians first ventured into Nigeria in 2010. Our finding show that after years of rapid development, Tongyi has grown into one of the largest foreign private enterprises in Nigeria.
In terms of Corporate Social Responsibility, The TRUTH reports that the Group consistently engaged in corporate social responsibility, a gesture via which it gives back to governments and communities that hosts its business.
In Nigeria, the business activities of the Tongy Group in mining, construction and investment continues to create handsome amount of revenue for both federal and state governments, while also creating huge number of jobs.
It is pertinent to note that the company has won popular acclaim not only for signing Community Development Agreements (CDA) but for honoring them, spending in excess of USD10m for community development projects across the world.
To mention but a few, as part of CSR, Tongyi Group constructed 200 kilometer roads and constructed 13 bridges and 17 boreholes with varying depths ranging from 60mto 230m for host communities. It also built schools and clinics for host communities while also financing monthly Youth Development Fund.
In furtherance of its CSR objectives, the company aimed to boost yield for farmers in host communities by donating hybrid seeds and fertilizer, a gesture that has improved food supply for rural communities hosting Tongyi businesses.
To develop education in host communities, Tongyi awards scholarships as well as builds education infrastructure like blocks of classrooms.
