First Bank has gone further in its corporate social responsibility, providing branded uniforms by the lenders to thousands of sweepers’ employed by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA)
Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni speaking at the unveiling ceremony commended the First Bank for the corporate social responsibility initiative, adding that the gesture would open a new chapter of collaboration between the two organizations.
He stated that the Authority had never rested on its oars in ensuring sweepers got good welfare, as a morale booster in their job of ensuring cleanliness, adding that LAWMA had earlier rebranded the sweepers with good welfare package alongside prompt payment of their salaries.
According to him, “We are so grateful for the provision of branded thousands of uniforms for our sweepers. We are thankful to First Bank for this friendly gesture. In fact, I never believed that they would go to this extent. They were so persistent and this has paid off with this new chapter of collaboration. We sincerely applaud this initiative’’.
Odumboni however canvassed more support, in the area of financial solutions to sweepers, to help them establish businesses and other meaningful projects.
The CEO of the First bank, Adesola Adeduntan, represented by Seyi Oyefeso, Group Executive Commercial Banking noted that the bank decided to lend its support to the Lagos state government and LAWMA, to achieve a common good of environmental sustainability, in areas of their operations.
Unveiling the branded uniforms, the Chief Technical Officer of LAWMA, Olorunwa Tijani, copiously commended the bank, noting that the lavishly reflective nature of the outfits, would enhance the visibility of the sweepers at work, and prevent accidents involving them.
Commenting, the LAWMA boss, Ibrahim Odumboni noted that the deep concern of the agency for the welfare of its workers necessitated the programme, stressing that his agency wanted excellent health for its personnel at all times.
In another development, LAWMA has organised free HIV/AIDS screening for its sweepers, in conjunction with the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA), in line with the United Nation’s directive, that 95 percent of citizens know their HIV status, so as to take healthy precautions in the pandemic period.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Monsurat Adeleke, noted that it was necessary to ensure health and wellness for the sweepers, because they were frontline workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and priority attention must be given to them.
She said: “LAWMA has a big workforce and they are an important stakeholder in the state. We key into the mandate of knowing sweepers HIV status. HIV is not a death sentence if you test positive. There are vaccines you can be given, to manage it and if you test negative, you will be advised on how to ensure being careful not to contract it. Our watchword is to help you develop your health status and manage yourselves by testing you.”
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