Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has donated brand-new buses to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna State University (KASU) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), describing the organisations as critical institutions in the development of the state.
Speaking during the presentation of the vehicles in Kaduna, Sani said the gesture was aimed at addressing transportation and mobility challenges confronting the beneficiaries, which he said had made significant contributions to the growth and development of Kaduna State.
The governor said the bus donated to the Correctional Service would particularly help the agency in transporting inmates to courts, health facilities and other locations.
He said his administration had visited the correctional centre and witnessed the infrastructure and operational challenges confronting the service, stressing that government was committed to addressing the identified gaps.
Sani also commended the NMA for its collaboration with his administration in improving healthcare delivery, describing healthcare as a fundamental right of every citizen.
He said the provision of the vehicle would strengthen the association’s operations and improve the mobility of medical professionals across the state.
He described the Kaduna branch of the NBA as one of the most vibrant in Nigeria, saying the association had played an important role in promoting justice, rule of law and good governance, particularly through its efforts to protect the rights of underserved and vulnerable citizens.
On KASU, the governor said his administration had worked with the university management and the National Universities Commission to address accreditation challenges facing some programmes. He said the reduction of tuition fees by 50 per cent in KASU and other state-owned tertiary institutions was intended to increase enrolment, adding that the policy had started yielding positive results.
Sani described the NUJ as a critical institution in the sustenance of democracy, recalling that journalists had made sacrifices, including losing their lives during military rule, in the struggle for the restoration of democracy.
He said the donation formed part of his administration’s commitment to supporting professional bodies and institutions that contribute to effective service delivery and development.
Receiving the vehicle, NUJ Kaduna Chairman, Comrade AbdulGafar Alabelewe, thanked the governor, saying the union had requested the bus about six months ago during a Ramadan Iftar with him.
He said the gesture was historic as the previous government-provided NUJ bus had become unserviceable and assured that the new vehicle would be used to facilitate journalists’ movement to assignments across the state.
He added that the media would continue to hold government accountable while setting an agenda for development and promoting peaceful, free and fair elections in the state.
