The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has commended Sterling Bank Plc
for its contribution to clean environment through the provision of necessary
incentives to checkmate environmental challenges.
The Governor who made the commendation while receiving reflective coveralls donated
by the Bank for use by members of the Osun Waste Management Authority (OWMA) in
Oshogbo noted that the coverall would protect the highway managers against
occupational hazards which they face in the discharge of their responsibilities
on a daily basis.
“By this donation, Sterling Bank has demonstrated its commitment to
environmental sustainability. These coveralls without any doubt will make the
Highway Managers visible from afar and prevent the incidents of motorists
running into them. It will provide safety against occupational hazards and also
give them a sense of dignity as opposed to appearing improperly dressed and
unkempt and elevate their status as they see themselves as very relevant to the
society through the service they provide”.
While reaffirming his administration’s readiness to maintain a top position among its
peers at championing good environmental sanitation, the Governor identified
environmental challenges as part of the reasons his administration took
aggressive steps towards waste management and sanitation in the state.
To kick start the process, he said his government came up with a 90-day emergency
declaration on sanitation and zero tolerance for filth culminating in the
launch of the O’Clean plus initiatives which had contributed
significantly in the reduction of sanitation related diseases, adding
that other corporate organizations should emulate the Bank in ensuring a clean
environment.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Lanre Adesanya, said the
presentation of coveralls was in line with the bank’s strategic focus on the
environment as one of its corporate’s social responsibility priorities. He
added that the Bank was already in partnership with other states such as Enugu,
Kaduna, Rivers, Delta, Abia, Ogun and Lagos states.
His words: “At Sterling Bank, environmental cleanliness is one of the cardinal
points of our Corporate Social Responsibility thrust that informs the bank’s
continued commitment of enormous resources towards ensuring that the
environment where we live is habitable.
“As we embark on this mission, we consider it of utmost importance to protect those
whose job it is to manage and clean the environment. That is why we came
up with the idea of producing coveralls for highway managers to ensure their
safety, make them more relevant in the society and as well as dignify them
while discharging their duties.”
In his remarks, the General Manager, Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA), Alhaji
Ganiyu Oyeladun said the state government through Osun Waste Management Agency
(OWMA) has in recent years embarked on various initiatives with focus on
achieving the objectives of the restoration of healthy living and empowerment for
the citizenry.
Alhaji Oyeladun noted that the current administration has successfully placed a high
priority on environmental sanitation and waste management, hence the creation
of the agency.
He said OWMA has succeeded in entrenching the culture of cleanliness among the
citizenry, adding that with the efforts of the agency, there is sharp reduction
in sanitation related diseases just as there is drastic reduction in mortality
and morbidity rates.
