By Princewill Ekwujuru

As First City Monument Bank Plc (FCMB) releases her Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity report for 2008/09, with emphasizes  on poverty, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability, the bank said it is building on her campaign line, “My bank and I.”

It could be recalled that in earlier 1900s, the main thrust of businesses  was to make profit, grow the company to a projected status in the business circle and make huge profits for business owners, but today, all that has changed.

Businesses now see their host communities as part of their business, and to ensure that their immediate host enjoy the good things of life so that the company becomes part of them. But sometimes, it is not factual that business concerns only put their host communities into consideration when carrying out their CSR activities.

Today,  because of the relevance of their host communities and environs, business concerns now go beyond their immediate community to bring good life even to communities not within their purview.

This could be likened to the performance of FCMB in her  CSR report which the company embarked on to alleviate poverty; a support for the alleviation and eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in the society.
The bank reported that it instituted the Kids vision, a CSR, set up to improve the lives of underprivileged children, by addressing welfare concerns, poverty and lack of basic amenities.

The other, Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN), FCMB said that its CSR unit has awarded a substantial amount to CRARN, to ensure the daily welfare of the displaced and abused children who reside in the CRARN-run-home in Eket, “our support has helped to fund the provision of clean water, food, educational materials, health, transportation and on-gong constructions.

“This can be seen in the promotion of environmental conservation around our branches, our homes and the development of partnerships that encourage economic independence and opportunities for human development.”
The Bank went further to say, “we will continue to build our strategic framework for corporate citizenship and align our approach with our business proposition-“My Bank and I”- thereby adding value to our customers and building lasting relationship with them and the communities in which they live.”
Continuing, the bank management said, “our CSR unit is structured so that it drives our overall nmission across the entire organisation. Our on-going CSR journey enables us to ensure our actions transcends cultual barriers, and address both social and economic challenges.”  S“Every FCMB CSR activity is geared towards community investments, “ the bank said.