From Friday of last week, the Western Delta University, (WDU) Oghara, Ethiope West LGA, Delta state, officials have crisscrossed their host LGA, taking Covid-19 palliatives to a specially identified group of people in the lowest segments of the society. Among the beneficiaries were the widows, orphans, and elders in dire straits.

The Vice Chancellor of the Western Delta University, Prof. (Mrs.) Otete Cecilia Okobia, told journalists that the move came as a palliative measure to cushion the economic effect of the deadly Corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic on the poor and the needy. She explained that since the outbreak of the pandemic, the WDU had taken it upon itself to educate the public about the best possible hygienic and social distancing practices that would help keep individuals and families from from being infected by the virus.

Yet, it needed to go further than that, and so in a show of the good town and gown relationship that should exist between a university and its neighbour’s towns, WDU took various foodstuff items and other forms of palliatives to the needy.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the university did not ask the beneficiaries to gather at a spot, disdaining social distancing but that it first identified the most vulnerable people in the Ethiope West LGA and other neighbouring LGAs, and took the gift items to them.

Prof (Mrs) Otete added that the WDU is committed to the welfare of their host communities in Ethiope West and Delta state in general, noting that the institution will continue to do all in its power to aid the public until the pandemic is defeated.

She said that the social-science way the WDU used to identify the downtrodden individuals and families to benefit from its charity, has been documented and will help the university’s students and lecturers in their research projects. She also said WDU is also ready to make the knowledge available to the state and the Federal governments whenever they have the need to reach out to the dregs of the society.