The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) has donated food items worth over N25 million to Delta communities to cushion the effects of the lockdown order in the state.
The items were presented to the 30 beneficiary communities on Sunday in Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area.
Sheidu Aiguedo, Manager, Government, Community Relations and Security, NPDC/NDW OML34 JV represented Chief Operating Officer of the NPDC/NDW OML34 AMT, Chief Edirin Abamwa at the event.
Abamwa said that other communities in Udu, Ughelli North and Warri South Local Government Areas would also benefit from the gesture.
He said that the palliatives included 350 bags of Rice, 350 bags of Garri and 350 bags of Beans among others.
“Prior to this time both NPDC and ND Western have made enormous contributions to Delta Government in preparation for this COVID-19 pandemic.
‘The whole idea is to help government in case of any possible outbreak in the state.
“As it is today (Sunday), the state has recorded four cases and the good thing is that government has a reasonable level of preparedness courtesy of our own contributions.
“We thought it wise to donate these food items to the communities because of the lockdown.
“Also, because government needs some level of support to help alleviate the suffering the people may be going through as they obey the sit-at-home order by the government,” he said.
“What we have here is 350 bags of Rice, 350 bags of Garri and 350 bags of Beans. This is costing the company well over N25 million.
“The food you are seeing today will go to about 30 communities that cuts across three local government areas,” he said.
“What we are doing now is not profit-driven, we need to show a good sense of neighborliness and that is what we are doing today,” he said.
Abamwa said that the donation was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to it’s host communities.
“As a company, this is part of our social corporate responsibility. We are showing love at the federal,sState and community levels.”
He advised the people to obey the lockdown order and observe the various precautionary measures, including physical distancing.
The king of Ughievwen Kingdom, Mathew Egbi, received the food items on behalf of the coommunities.
The monarch commended the company and assured it that the palliatives would be equitably distributed among the communities.
