Stories from Isaac Akwetey-Okunor
The management of Chocho Industry and Company Limited, a rural-based industry located in the Suhum Municipality, has presented 25 street lights to the Suhum Traditional Council (STC).
The street lights, which cost GH¢62,500, was by the company to help improve on the security situation of the municipality, which has seen some criminal activities in recent times.
Presenting the items at this year’s Odwira festival celebrated by the people, the wife of Alhaji Mustaph Boateng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Hajia Jamina Boateng, aka Hajia Chocho, said the presentation was part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
According to her, man was the product of society, and therefore, in order to create an environment conducive for prosperous business, there was the need that all hands are put on deck, since that feat could not be achieved by an individual alone.
This, she said, motivated the company to supply the lights, since most of Suhum did not have street lights, thereby creating a good environment for unscrupulous individuals, who are enemies of development, to strike.
Acknowledging that Chocho industry alone cannot develop Suhum, but rather a pool of corporate bodies and individuals, the company would continue to support any development project embarked upon by either the Assembly or traditional leaders.
Apart from the presentation of the street lights, the company has, within this month, presented some Chocho products to inmates of the Nsawam Prisons, and paid the school fees of orphans among others.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Chocho Industry, Mr. Kojo Ampah Sahara, urged youth in the country to emulate the kind gestures demonstrated by generous personalities such as his boss, Alhaji Mustaph Boateng.
The PRO averred that Alhaji Mustaph Boateng, prior to the establishment of the company, pledged that he would channel any profit accrued from business to impact positively on people’s lives.
Confirming and fulfilling the promise, he said (PRO) he was not surprised that a chunk of the company profit has been put into corporate social responsibilities.
Talking about the workforce, the PRO underscored that the contributions of Chocho towards limiting, if not eradicating the mass youth unemployment not only within the operational area of the company, but the country at large, was overwhelming.
He, therefore, called on the government to support industries in Ghana, particularly the rural based ones, through the creation of level playing field and easy accessibility of loans to expand their businesses.
He argued that the solution to mass unemployment among the youth depended on rural based industries, since they create large employment grounds for most of the youth within their catchment areas.
He explained that these youth, who otherwise would join the unemployment bandwagon, as well as travelling to the big cities to chase non-existing white collar jobs, are absorbed by these rural based industries.