Gov. Olusegun Mimiko Commends FCMB on Commitment to Cleaner Environment - November 13, 2009

Ondo State Government has commended First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) on its nationwide awareness campaign on the environment tagged ‘Committed -To –Green’ (C2G). Committed-To-Green is the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) green initiative which aims at raising awareness through a social engagement plan to sensitize and educate the staff and host communities on environmental friendly behaviour across the country.

The State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, gave this commendation at the official launching of C2G initiative in the state capital Akure last week. The launch coincided with the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise during which all staff of the bank in the state embarked on the cleaning of the city and enlightening the host communities on maintaining a healthy environment.

The Governor, who reiterated his administration’s commitment to quick response to environmental challenges and preventive approach to the management of the environment, challenged other corporate bodies in the state to emulate FCMB and take up a role in the management of the environment within the framework of their corporate social responsibility.

The C2G initiative which was flagged off in Lagos at the beginning of the year has also been activated in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos State, Rivers State, Enugu State, Kano State, Ondo State, Plateau State, Gombe State, and Kebbi State. More states have also been scheduled for activation.

The project, the bank said, is a journey to change its environment by imbibing simple acts to ensure sanitation around its branches and homes. According to Kemi-Sokenu Morris, FCMB’s Head CSR, “This journey, as part of our corporate social responsibility is to do our little part to ensure environment sustainability.

We began by focusing on sensitization, awareness and education on sanitation and waste management through a plan to educate our staff and members of the community on environment friendly habits, such as sanitation, waste management and conserving our energy and natural resources within the areas where we operate and conduct our business”.

She said the bank’s motivation behind this initiative is to join the global movement on sustaining the environment.
“We are aware that climate change is the defining issue of our generation and it threatens to erode human freedoms and limit our choice. It calls into question, the enlightenment principle that human progress will make the future look better than the past. “By so doing,” she noted, “our communities improve and hopefully others will follow. Starting with Lagos and step by step we will make our contribution towards getting Nigerian cities ‘green’ again.”

“In Nigeria, early warnings are visible, increase exposure to drought, intense land degradation, eroding floods, environmental stress, failing agriculture, diminishing opportunities for employment, disease and dire consequences for our business. We are all familiar with the saying that health is wealth; a cleaner environment (a cleaner FCMB) means better business,” Morris said.
She also expressed the bank’s willingness to partner with well meaning state and local governments to lead by example in transforming the environment.