The National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has donated relief items to residents of Iru Community in Iru-Victoria Island Council Development Area of Lagos State.
Mr Usman Baba, Managing Director, NETCO, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos that the donation was part of efforts to support the less privileged during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
Baba said no fewer than 800 residents community were each given two kg bags of garri and rice as well as bags of sachet water and antiseptic soaps.
He said another 700 residents from Bar Beach area would benefit from the gesture on Friday, adding that the company spent about N6 million on the relief package.
Baba said: “We are a small company but we felt that we needed to support Iru Community where we operate from as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility during this lockdown.
“We are here to support our head office, the NNPC and the Federal Government to bring palliatives to citizens as Nigeria battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are here to support the less privileged who cannot afford to feed themselves without earning money on a daily basis. So we are here to do our own little best to support them.”
He noted that defeating the Coronavirus required the support of all Nigerians and urged them to continue to observe social distancing and all other important public health advisory and protocols.
On her part, Princess Rashidat Adu, Chairman, Iru-Victoria Island LCDA, commended NETCO for the gesture, stressing that the lockdown had caused starvation to some members of the community.
She said the LCDA had been doing its best to provide palliatives to the people and called on other companies in the area to assist the government in this regard.