As part of efforts cushion the effect of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Edo State, an engineering construction company, Harbour Engineering yesterday donated food items and other items such as face masks and sanitisers to the Edo State Government.
The items donated are, 100 bags of 25kg rice, 80 bottles of two litre vegetable oil, 10 cartons of tomatoes puree, 100 carton of Noddles, 90 bags of 25kg beans, two bags of facemasks, 100 pieces four litre palm oil and 1,200 pieces of hand sanitisers.
Making the presentation at Government House, Benin City, yesterday, representative of the company, Mr. Segun Okeni, said the gesture was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Harbour Engineering to give back to its host community and state.
He said “Edo State Government partner with us especially in the development of the Benin River Port. So we want to identity with the state government.
Okeni also disclosed that Harbour Engineering was a subsidiary of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) providing infrastructure such as marine engineering, dredging and reclamation, road and bridge, railway company which makes the second largest dredging company in the world.
He said they decided to use the state government to reach out to people of the state in this time of global pandemic to cushion the effects suffered especially during the lockdown.
While asking the state government to distribute the items judiciously as he thrust they will do so, Okeni promised more partnership towards development of the Edo.
Receiving the items on behalf of Edo State Government, the Focal Person, Edo SDGs and Chairperson, Edo State COVID-19 Welfare Package, Mrs. Ifueko Alufokhai, thanked Harbour Engineering for its gesture.
She said it has always been a good thing haven people buying into the state government’s efforts at curtailing the spread of coronavirus.
According to her, “This is a global pandemic and we need the private sector to come in because government alone cannot do it but requires partnership of everybody to achieve success.”
Mrs. Alufokhai expressed delight that the items donated would go a long way to helping government see to the needs of poorest of the poor and the vulnerable in the society.