As corporate Nigeria leads the pack in donations towards total annihilation of the novel corona virus pandemic in Nigeria, foremost power Generation Company, Cummins West Africa Ltd has donated a 100kva power plant to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), incorporating the Central for Public Health Laboratory to ensure regular power supply to facility in this critical period.
The donation is part of other efforts put in place by the company towards partnering with the agency of government to enhance its operation and services delivery towards curbing the menace of COVID-19, as Nigeria records increase in cases daily with over a thousand confirmed virus cases so far.
While presenting the generating set to the centre, Managing Director, Cummins West Africa, Mr. Ade Obatoyinbo said that the gesture by the company is part of its token of appreciation to the hard work, dedication and commitment of the staff and management of the centre to protect the health of Nigerians.
He said that for the center to conduct emergency responses and operations of the magnitude its presently handling, it needs a conducive environment to be able to deliver so as not to disappoint Nigerians, noting that for that reason, Cummins West Africa has to intervened to create that enabling environment.
While expressing optimism that Nigeria will be first among African countries to announce its exit from the pandemic just as in the case of ebola, he noted however that in this time of emergency, regularly power supply is a critical factor hence the need to keep the medical facility alive at all time.
He expressed gratitude to the management for the rapid response to emergencies at the centre, even as he assured of its company’s readiness to go a long way in providing other technical support relating to the operations of the gen set and other technical assistance it can provide in future to ensure steady power supply to the facility.
“Nothing is compared to what the center is doing, the supply does not end here, we will do our best in providing technical assistance to the centre whenever necessary” he assured.
In her response on behalf of the Director General, National Centre for Disease and Control, Mrs Babatunde Olajumoke, Deputy Director NCDC/Head Central Public Health Laboratory commended management of Cummins West Africa for the gesture.
She said that since inception, one of the challenges the center has experienced including the staff in delivering on its emergency responses and carry out its services is lack of adequate power supply assuring that with the gen set donated by Cummins West Africa Ltd, one of the major challenges will now be ameliorated.
“We are now good to go and not to disappoint the country” she said.