By Sanjo Olatunji
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu,on Wednesday, praised telecommunications services giant, Airtel Nigeria, for donating funds and telecommunications equipment to the State’s Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), towards ensuring a safer and well-secured Lagos.
The governor, who was speaking during a courtesy visit of the Airtel Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Segun Ogunsanya, to his Alausa Office, said Airtel had taken a fine step in redeeming the pledge made recently to support the efforts and activities of the Fund.
“I thank Airtel for redeeming its pledge to the State Government. About two months ago, the company committed to donate cash, handsets, SIM Cards and airtime to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. And today, without being nudged, it has come to fulfill its promise.
“Indeed, Airtel has demonstrated that it is a very responsible and responsive corporate citizen and we urge other corporate organizations to emulate the telco as we work collaboratively to ensure a safe and well-secured state where businesses and other activities can continue to thrive,” he said.
In his earlier remarks, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, expressed the company’s commitment to collaborating with the Lagos State Government in areas that will further bring development to the state as well as create prosperity opportunities for its inhabitants.
“Our visit today is to fulfill our pledge to donate cash, phones (1,000 handsets), SIM cards and airtime to support our security agencies in Lagos State through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. We are also donating some money today. In the past, we have supported the government in security and other areas and we are committed to supporting Lagos into the future.
“We are a good company. We don’t publicize most of the good things we do because we believe if you are helping someone and expecting something in return, you are doing business and not kindness. We are here for good. We believe the rich have an obligation to support the poor and that poverty should not be a permanent feature of our society.
“Through our CSR pillars: Airtel Touching Lives initiative, Adopt-a-School Program and Employee Volunteer Scheme, we have implemented multi-million naira CSR interventions ranging from school adoption to refurbishing cancer centers as well as offering reliefs to hundreds of Lagosians and Nigerians in General,” he said.
The Airtel CEO had in his delegation the company’s Corporate communications and CSR Director, Emeka Oparah and the Customer Service Director, Veronica Onoja.