Unilever Ghana on Monday awarded 15,000 dollars to three scholars in support of their research work and tuition in their academic fields, considered as key to national development.

The beneficiaries and their respective areas of work were Professor Kofi O. Nti of the University of Ghana, Legon, Business Studies, Prof. Emmanuel Kofi B. Quansah, University of Cape Coast, Teacher Education and Prof. James Ephraim Hawkins of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Chemistry.

The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama and Mr Antony Burgmans, visiting Chairman of Unilever NV, were among personalities of Business and Industrial community, academicians and other dignitaries, who attended a ceremony at the State House, in honour of the recipients of the assistance package.

The three scholars were the first occupants of Professorial Chairs, established in their institutions under the Five Billion cedi-Unilever Foundation for Education and Development, set up in 1999, to fund the company's social responsibility programme.

Part of the award would be used to supplement their salaries throughout the year of their occupancy of the chairs.

Vice President Mahama praised Unilever for its longstanding commitment to addressing the needs of the communities it operates in, saying "Ghanaians are appreciative of these gestures."

"Long before the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility came to the fore, Unilever through its antecedent company, UAC Ghana Limited has been a pacesetter in ploughing putting back into the community some of the profits they make," he said.

He recalled the building of the Kumasi Sports Stadium and the Accra Community Centre, which he said, were donated to Ghana by UAC.

Vice President Mahama cautioned companies, which were not addressing the basic needs of the communities within which they worked, saying they risked being denied the people's goodwill and the productivity of employees.

He lauded Unilever's training programme for small-scale entrepreneurs, which according to him had so far benefited 50 people.

Vice President Alhaji Mahama also commended the Company's pledge to support government's programme of achieving Golden Age of Business.

He said the government would ensure that the lip services often paid to make the private sector vibrant ended so as to create jobs and generate wealth.

Ahhaji Mahama stated: "We have engaged in the glorification of the sector, with little or nothing actually done to prop up the sector, "he said.

"Where entrepreneurship is not rewarded because of high interest rates on borrowing and where it is more profitable to invest in risk-free treasury bills than in industry or business, we cannot be said to be promoting the development of the sector."

Mr Burgmans said Unilever would support the President's Special Initiative on Oil Palm by assisting 500,000 out-grower farmers, working on its plantation at Twifo and Benso in the Western region.

He said his company was not solely interested in making profits but was determined to improve the quality of life of its employees and that of people in the communities in which it worked in.

Mr Burgmans said Unilever believed in sustainable development and was working with others companies to conserve marine life, save water bodies and promote good agricultural practices.

He said Unilever had a turn over of 80 billion Euros, adding that its annual taxes to the government exceeded 200 billion cedis.

Mr Ishmael Yamson, Chairman of Unilever Ghana, said the Company's social responsibility programme had been integrated into its core agenda and advised others to do likewise.

"Corporate bodies should not wait for communities to come cup-in hand begging for support for community projects," he said.

" The time has come for businesses to constantly keep fingers on the pulse of the communities in which they operate so that they would be aware of their needs, their hopes and aspirations and remain sensitive and responsive to them," Mr Yamson said.

The audience at the ceremony were entertained with melodious and 'soul-taking' songs from the Methodist Youth Choir and some traditional dances from the Indigene African Group.