Etsu Nupe warns youths, intervenes in Sunti Sugar Company/ host communities crisis

THE Etsu Nupe and chairman, Niger State council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, has waded into the lingering face off  between the management of  Sunti Golden Sugar Estate Limited, a subsidiary of Floor Mills of Nigeria Plc, and its host communities  in Mokwa Local Government Area  of Niger State over perceived refusal of the company’s management to engage in corporate social responsibilities to its hosts communities in the council areas.

The traditional ruler, who held a trouble shooting dialogue  with the people of the  three communities hosting the multi-million naira rice and sugarcane plantations  and also  with the company’s  management warned  the youths of the host communities  not to take laws  into their hands, but should rather give peace a chance and channel their grievances towards  the appropriate quarters.

The youths in the three host communities of Kusopa, Kede and Sunfla were said to have protested to the company’s premises over lack of adequate social responsibilities  on the part of the company in terms  of gainful employment, provision of social infrastructure and alternative source of living, coupled with the difficulty in fish farming due to the  company’s  activities.

The royal father, therefore enjoined  the three communities to forward  their complaints through their various sub committees and should  be forwarded to the main committee to the company following the decision of the company’s management not to  deal with any individuals.

Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar  also  appealed to the communities to be patient, embrace peace and accept the establishment of the company in the communities as a blessing for the enhancement of the  socio-  economic development of the areas  and the state in particular arguing that the benefits were enormous.

The Etsu Nupe, however, assured the people of the host communities that he would not  betray the trust and confidence reposed  in him while promising  to study their letter given to him and get back to them warning that such a development will not repeat itself again.

He charged them to establish a recognised foundation in each of the communities  where benefits would be injected into for the development of each community just as development can only be  achieved  in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility  .

Earlier the Niger state government has set up a 6-Man committee led by a member of the Niger State house of  Assembly,  representing Mokwa

Constituency, Hon. Mohammed Baiwa and mandated him  to interface between the company and the host communities and with the state  government for the creation of conducive atmosphere for smooth take off.

The state  government was represented  by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Alhaji Danlami Zubairu Isah who assured all concerned to do everything humanly  possible to ensure peaceful coexistence between the company and the host communities.

He  noted that the company has  been doing its best since its presence in the communities and had invested over N40 billion, adding  that that cannot  go in vain.

Meanwhile, the  new head of the company, Mr Theodore Dimou said Sunti Farms Limited has spent about $250million for the projects on the 3,000 hectres and would soon expend  additional $ 75 million for an additional  6,000 hectres  as well as engaging 1,200 locals. In addition to spending about  N2.5 billion on various intervention programmes while  assuring to do their best for the communities.