24-11--2024.

There are many ‘Foundations’ in the country rendering one assistance or another to the supposedly needy people. But the actual reason behind the establishment of such ‘Foundations’ is NOT to really render any assistance, but to promote the founders and their interests, both at the national and international levels.

Therefore there are Foundations and there are ‘Foundations’, and the very large hearted philanthropists behind the former category give them sufficient funds to go about their businesses of assisting the society in many areas. Enough financial wherewithal is not available for the government to provide every need of the society, which makes the intercession of wealthy people like the BUA founder very important and timely.

But my own understanding of the definition of corporate responsibility, it is not the random way of delivering assistance to those chosen by an individuals or organisations as is most often the case in Nigeria. This sort of ‘assistance’ is rendered for the sake of ‘eye service’, not for ‘the sake of God’ and a huge return, which in many cases, is the reason for doing good things to the society’s less privileged.

It is also my belief that corporate responsibility is supposed to be the deliberate and sustained effort of either wealthy individuals or organisations to reach out to the society and give back a small portion of that which God, through the society, has abundantly provided to them, as their way of saying to Him, ‘thank you for Your abundant grace to me’. And this is the BUA way.

Of course, others may be doing their own bit in the correct way, which however remained little or not noticed at all. But the BUA Foundation way of doing its own is completely clear and simple for all to see.

The BUA Foundation way of giving back to the society is very big indeed, not just the mere assistance randomly given to some people selected for the purpose of eye service. Such ‘assistance’ are mostly rendered in the glare of the world so that it may be said that the giver ‘has made it or has arrived’. ‘Made it or has arrived’ are terms used to describe the  nouveau riche who amassed their fortunes by means that are not always fair and square, or, for the uninformed, above the law.

It is therefore to the credit of the BUA Foundation that it is giving back to the society openly (but not deliberately so) in areas that are most important in the 21st century. The areas are in the fields of education, health, entrepreneurship and skills development and acquisition, housing development, skills as well as public FEEDING, which is of immense significance, particularly at this material time of severe poverty and hunger in Nigeria.

Education. In the field of education, it is an open secret the Foundation has built some of the finest secondary schools and tertiary institutions in some parts of the country, particularly Kano, the home state of the founder of the BUA Foundation.

Kano is home to Khalifa Isyaku Rabi’u University (KHAIRUN), established by the founder of the BUA Foundation, Alhaji AbdusSamadu Isyaka Rabi’u, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BUA the company, and the BUA Foundation.  Kano is a city world famous for its commercial activities.

In the health sector, it has become an open secret that during the corona virus pandemic, the BUA sent at least three ambulances and an undisclosed amounts of money to all the 36 states in the country, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Again the Foundation regularly upgrades hospitals and provides cash assistance to patients, especially expectant mothers on a hospital admission.

Recently, the BUA Foundation gave the huge amount of N2 billion to the Borno State Government to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the unprecedented floods experienced by the thecapital of his home state country. Even the committee set up by the Federal Government did not give that amount said to be donated by a single organisation or individual.

The Foundation has also established housing estates in some parts of the country to assist the less endowed BUA staff and other lucky members of the community to own their own homes at very affordable prices. There are also many financial assistance by the Foundation aimed at enabling the less opportune to own their houses.

Not long ago, the foundation gave out billions of naira as its contribution for skills development and acquisition in some states in the federation.

It is therefore the responsibility of all those who were ‘smiled upon’ by a great fortune to give back to the society in a way that will show their gratitude to Allah. As said by Allah in all the scriptures that ‘giving out does not reduce from ones wealth. It only increases it, if it is done in the way of Him’.

In the area of FREE FEEDING offered by the BUA Foundation, thousands of the NEEDY benefit from the gesture three times every day. The free food is served in almost every part of the country, where it is most needed. The free feeding is done in even more places during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

To cap it, the BUA Foundation gives out billions of naira as assistance for societal development in some states, where funding has been exhausted during sincere execution of the project.

However, is not enough to just set up foundations without putting an eye on its activities with a view to making sure that it is living up to its responsibilities for which it was set up. This, needless to add, is always the way of the BUA Foundation.

It would appear to be that some of the elite in the society are not only good at organising or attending lavish ceremonies, they are also very good at giving to the poor in the country. They do that in many forms, but the most popular is setting up Foundations that assist the poor and or the society in general.

Well, Nigeria has NOW become a country  where only the very wealthy lives, the rich survives, and the poor exist, only just. It is therefore, the duty of the very wealthy people to redouble their giving back to the society that gave them the wealth, by FEEDING the multitude of the hungry poor, many of whom sleep with empty stomachs.

As God almighty Has said in the Holy Scriptures, ‘giving does not diminish, but only increases the wealth of the giver’. It is therefore, high time that we realise that God’s promises always come to pass.

May God enrich all societies with people like the Chairman and CEO of BUA, who is also the founder of the BUA Foundation, Alhaji AbdusSamadu Isyaka Rabi’u. May He also make Nigeria a better place for the poor to have a piece of what he has in abundance, by giving in many ways, especially in FEEDING. Above all, may God give Nigeria the leadership that fears Him, so that the country may witness rapid development of the nation, through the LEGAL utilisation of the commonwealth.

Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.