LEBANESE COMPANIES AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY   

LEBANESE COMPANIES AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY   

By: Balami Lazarus     

My office at Wuse Zone 4 Abuja is opposite the Lebanon Embassy. And whenever I looked at the it made me recalled with nostalgia growing up in Samaru-Zaria with Lebanese childhood friends and the jollity we had at the Lebanon club that was years ago. And not ago, I asked a good friend of mine what he knows Abott the Lebanese and Lebanon as a country? My friend laughed and told me that I just reminded him of these people and their country- Lebanon.

He finally told me that he knows nothing about Lebanon, but for the people “most of them are of questionable character and lack hygiene in their business and social dealings with other people”  he said.     I am not writing this piece to discredit and undermine the few good Lebanese as individuals or as corporate entities that have contributed to the economics of Nigeria. But what is been said of them by some Nigerians who probably might have had interactions with them is terrible, shameful, disgusting and embarrassing likened closely to  Mr. Robert of Locksley (Robin Hood) who spent most of his time in Sherwood Forest England in the 1190″s.     

Lebanon is a small ancient historical sovereign nation in the Middle East, with a land area of 10,452 square kilometres, bounded by Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Mediterranean sea with its capital in Beyrouth (original spelling). It has a population of little above seven (7)  million people who are mostly found living in their major cities of Tripoli and SIdon including Beirut the capital. The Lebanese are people that disliked rural lives with passion that  is why you find a large number of them living in cities.

The Lebanese are not Arabs by race and at the time of writing this article I could not make out their ethnic identity or their racial genealogy. However, the official language is Arabic while French and English are widely spoken.    Economically, Lebanon is a very poor country where standard of living is nothing to write home about and indeed where poverty gazes you hard in the face and there you are a prey in the clan of hungry hyenas surely to be eaten alive by the predator called poverty.     

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Lebanese love living in cities because of their poor rural arid background. Most are forcibly made to leave their country for two basic reasons: poverty and war, but more of economic hardship. Are you aware that Lebanon has high rate of illiteracy coupled with unemployment in both public and private sectors including the corrupt and exploitative tendencies of her citizens as a result of the absence of commerce and industry hence lesser economic growth and development in Lebanon supported by lack of agricultural and natural resources deepening the socio- economic hardship constricting the Lebanese. 

I challenge anyone  including those hereby in question to tell me and readers of this discourse if they can, one known economic activity or mineral resources that Lebanon is known with right from the distant past and today. Definitely none. No wonder you hardly hear of her among the committee of nations.     

When the first generation of Lebanese came to Nigeria  pre- independence, they were men of honour who decided to stay and live in Nigeria because of the plush and veld opportunities in the economy of our country that are still abundant presently. These men established business enterprises, limited liability companies that some have withstood the test of time. These growing concerns are today run by their children or grand-children who have grown horns and wings with no respect and regards to their host community.     

I have had interactions with some Lebanese socially and business- wise. They are people known for looking down on others and racist by nature. Good number of them have no regard to the culture, tradition, laws and order of the country they are living in and prosperously earning their livelihood. They do this at most times as a corporate body.

In fact, I stand to say some of their companies are selfish, full of greed and dubious in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS). Can anyone prove me wrong?      Lebanese residents and businesses in this country should think outside the box regarding their Social Corporate Responsibility ( CRS) towards those hosting them by doing the needful in provision of social amenities for the people.

I am yet to see any CRS undertaken by any Lebanese company.  Finally, they should start discharging this relationship as they do business in Nigeria.       

Balami, a Publisher/ Columnist.     08036779290

LEBANESE COMPANIES AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY