Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has donated luxury buses to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Kaduna State University (KASU) to strengthen their operations and ease mobility challenges.
Presenting the vehicles to the beneficiaries in Kaduna, Sani said the intervention was in recognition of the important roles played by the organisations and institutions in the development of the state.
The governor described the beneficiaries as critical institutions whose contributions cut across democracy, justice, healthcare, education, security and public service delivery, assuring that the government would continue to support them where necessary.
Sani said the bus presented to the Nigerian Correctional Service would help address transportation challenges, particularly the movement of inmates to courts, healthcare facilities and other official engagements.
He said his administration had visited the Kaduna Correctional Centre twice within the year and observed the level of infrastructure decay and other challenges confronting the service, adding that government had commenced interventions to address some of the identified problems.
According to him, providing the vehicle was part of efforts to improve the operational capacity of the Correctional Service and enable its personnel to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.
The governor also commended the NMA for its collaboration with his administration in improving healthcare delivery, describing healthcare as a fundamental right of every citizen and promising continued support for the sector.
He said the vehicle donated to the medical association would enhance the mobility of doctors and other healthcare professionals and facilitate the association’s activities across the state.
On the NBA, Sani described the Kaduna Branch as ‘one of the most vibrant branches in the whole of Nigeria’, commending its contributions to justice, the rule of law and protection of the rights of underserved and underrepresented citizens.
He said the intervention at KASU was also part of his administration’s commitment to strengthening the institution.
Sani recalled that the government had worked with the university management and the National Universities Commission to address accreditation challenges, while the 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees had contributed to increased enrolment.
The governor described the NUJ as a critical institution in the sustenance of democracy, noting that journalists had historically played significant roles in the struggle for the return to civil rule, with some losing their lives during military dictatorship.
Receiving the bus on behalf of doctors and healthcare professionals in Kaduna, NMA Chairman, Dr. Hassan Bala Salihu, thanked the governor for the gesture, saying it reflected his administration’s commitment to advancing the healthcare system in the state.
NBA Kaduna Branch Chairman, Barrister Baba Lawal, also expressed appreciation to the governor, saying the vehicle would strengthen the branch’s operational capacity and enable it to serve its members and the public more effectively.
KASU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdullahi Musa, described the donation as historic, expressing appreciation to the governor for what he called his generosity and commitment to the development of the university.
Receiving the bus on behalf of the NUJ, Kaduna State Council Chairman, Comrade AbdulGafar Alabelewe, said journalists had requested the vehicle about six months ago during a Ramadan Iftar with the governor.
He said its delivery marked a major milestone for the union, noting that the last similar gesture from the state government was about two decades ago.
Alabelewe assured the governor that the bus would be put to good use in facilitating journalists’ movement to assignments across the state, while the media would continue to hold government accountable and set agenda for development.
He further conveyed the appreciation of NUJ President, Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, and disclosed that the union would, at the governor’s convenience, confer on him the position of Grand Patron of the NUJ in Kaduna State.
The representative of the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, also expressed appreciation for the donation, saying the bus would address a major operational challenge facing the Kaduna Command.
He assured the governor that the vehicle would be properly maintained and deployed strictly for the purposes for which it was donated.