By Isaac Asabor
As an Edolite, I must confess that the economic relevance I attached to Okomu Oil Plc since it was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the state in 1976 is by each passing day been deepened by virtue of the positive impacts it is leaving on its immediate community and surrounding communities, the governments, investors and the people. No one can whip sentiment by sighing that he or she is not benefiting from Okomu Oil. If there is anyone that thinks he or she is not benefiting from the company, then such person should tell Nigerians if he or she does not eat food cooked with palm oil produced by Okomu Oil or if such person does not make use of items made from natural rubber latex which Okomu Oil also contributes to appropriate supply chains. Natural rubber latexes are commonly used to make items like gloves, swim caps, chewing gum, mattresses, catheters, rubber bands, balloons, tennis shoes, and many other sporting goods. Not only that, synthetic latexes are common in coatings, like latex paint. Swear if you have not used any of the foregoing items!
It is against the foregoing backdrop that I am in this context likening the company to the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs. From whichever perspective the activities of the company is analyzed from, everyone is benefiting from its activities; both from the angle of making use of its products and their derivatives as well as its unquestionable executions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) due to its knack for sustainable developments.
For the sake of clarity, the etymology of the idiomatic expression, “The goose that lays the golden eggs” is derived from one of Aesop’s fables about the goose and the golden eggs. It explains an important principle of how greed often overreaches itself. It illustrates how wanting much, ends up in wanting more and eventually loses all.
However, being an allegorical saying that finds expression in diverse spheres of life, it suffices to say in this context that it explains the need for all stakeholders to Okomu Oil Plc to be rallying round Dr. Graham Hefer, the Managing Director of the company and other management members in ensuring that the company is not killed like the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg.
The story: One morning, a farmer discovered that his goose had laid a golden egg. The next morning another golden egg had been produced by his goose. Every day the goose would produce one golden egg and the farmer sold it and became rich. Until one day the farmer grew impatient and thought to cut open the goose and harvest all the eggs at once. Of course, his plan was unsuccessful. When the farmer cut open the goose, he found zero golden eggs and no longer had the goose to produce them.
Warningly put, those that have been criminally disrupting the operations of the company by each passing year should realize that if they succeed in perpetrating their heinous activities against the company that they will be the ones to lose. God forbid! The reason for this view cannot be farfetched as the company has been positively impacting on the economies of governments and communities, and by extension on the collective wellbeing of the people.
You may have asked in this context, “How is the company impacting positively on governments?” To answer your question, Okomu oil plays a very modest role in the Nigerian palm oil sector as it owns plantations through which it makes its products to Nigerians on daily basis, even as its existence has made it impossible for importation of palm oil to Nigeria not to be more deplorable as available statistics by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), an online data visualization and distribution platform focused on the geography and dynamics of economic activities disclosed in its gathered that Nigeria in 2020, exported $1.06m in Palm Oil, making it the 69th largest exporter of Palm Oil in the world. At the same year, Palm Oil was the 137th most exported product in Nigeria. The main destination of Palm Oil exports from Nigeria were: United States ($451k), Canada ($208k), Benin ($89.9k), Portugal ($85.4k), and United Arab Emirates ($60.3k).
It added that the fastest growing export markets for Palm Oil of Nigeria between 2019 and 2020 were United States ($269k), Canada ($104k), and Benin ($83.3k). Without doubt, a dispassionate view of the foregoing statistics shows that if Okomu Oil and other oil palm companies are adequately supported and their wellbeing prioritized upon by the governments that more impressive results would be seen in near future.
To the people of Okomu and surrounding communities, for instance in February this year, OOPC, as it is acronymically called donated a block of classrooms as part of its CSR projects to Uhiere Community. In the same month, the company renovated the Palace of the Enogie of Umokpe community, in Uhunmwonde Local government area, Edo state. There is no denying the fact that its commitment to community development is well acknowledged by all the communities that hold stakes in its operations so much that in the same February, the management of Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC assured members of Agbado community of its resolve in contributing to attracting development to the area. This assurance was given when the OOPC team made their maiden visit to Agbado community as they requested to be included in OOPC CSR scheme.
Without doubt, through its CSR Scheme, the leadership of OOPC has been improving the wellbeing of students as it is reputed to be awarding scholarship and bursaries to them. As to its motivating contribution to its staff, the company has not slacked as it ensures that is accomplished through deserved promotion and annual long service awards for them even as it has been training smallholder farmers as a way of empowering them. For instance, within the last quarter of 2021, over five hundred smallholders’ farmers drawn from Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhunmwonde local government areas participated in a free workshop organized by management of Okomu oil palm company Plc.
Unarguably appreciating the proverbial golden eggs the management of Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC has been laying over the years, neighboring communities had for the umpteenth time commended its leadership for its inclusive CSR Scheme and robust projects therefrom which have been to their own benefits. No doubt, the projects have been attracting development to the areas.
It would be recalled that its CSR efforts to the communities had attracted a familiarization visit from the leadership of the Ovia South West local government area. In that light, the leadership of the local government said the purpose of their visit was to identify with the management of Okomu on the positive impact they are leaving on neighboring communities across the local government area.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to appeal through this piece that the company which is invariably likened to the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs in this context should be supported and not be killed.
