As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility drive to assist the Army carry out its task of safe guarding the nation, Diamond Bank Plc, a leading retail bank in Nigeria, has donated a ten-room, fully furnished, office block to the Nigerian Army.
Speaking during the handover of the Charlie & Support Company building donated by the Bank to the 65 Battalion, Bonny Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Lagos, Dr. Alex Otti, Group Managing Director and CEO, Diamond Bank, said that the donation was a corporate social responsibility intervention to support the efforts of the Nigerian Army.
According to Otti, “One day, the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion showed up at my office with pictures of the structure that used to be here. My colleagues and I were surprised at the state of the building and decided to help out. I must commend the courage of the Commanding Officer in reaching out because this place is not readily accessible to the public so charitable minded citizens may not readily consider it in their interventions.
“I would also seize this opportunity to formally congratulate the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ken T.J. Minimah, on his appointment. I believe it is God’s design that he is in the saddle at this time of great challenge. Diamond Bank will continue to support the government in whatever way we can to ensure that we have a country where we can live, work, play and raise our children in peace and safety,” he added.
Lt. Col Haruna Ibrahim Dasuki, Commander, 65 Battalion, Bonny Cantonment of the Nigerian Army, thanked Diamond Bank for honouring the Army’s request for assistance.
Presenting the building to the Chief of Army Staff, Dasuki explained: “What used to stand here was made of wood and housed two companies – the Charlie and Support companies – of the Nigerian Army. I decided to solicit for help from corporate organizations in reconstructing the building and Diamond Bank responded positively by sponsoring this building and fitting it with state-of-the-art facilities one hundred per cent.”
While commissioning the building, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah, expressed appreciation to Diamond Bank for single handedly sponsoring the project and expressed optimism that the new office block as well as modern facilities will boost the productivity of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army resident at the base.
