Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Tuesday donated brand-new luxury buses to five critical institutions in the state, including the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Medical Association, Kaduna State University, and the Nigerian Correctional Service, in a gesture aimed at addressing longstanding transportation and mobility challenges confronting these organisations. The presentation ceremony, held in Kaduna, saw the governor hand over the vehicles to the respective beneficiaries, with each institution receiving a brand-new bus to facilitate their operations and enhance service delivery to the people of Kaduna State.
Governor Sani, who personally presented the vehicles, described the five organisations as critical stakeholders whose contributions were essential to the development of the state. He emphasised that the gesture was designed to ease their transportation difficulties and enable them to discharge their responsibilities more effectively. "I'm only handing over the vehicles to the beneficiaries. All the five very critical institutions that were given these vehicles today are very important organisations and have done a lot in contributing towards the development of our state," the governor said.
The donation to the Nigerian Correctional Service, the governor explained, was particularly significant given the mobility challenges confronting the service, especially the transportation of inmates to courts, health facilities, and other official engagements. He recalled that his administration had visited the Kaduna Correctional Centre twice within a year and witnessed firsthand the infrastructure challenges confronting the facility. "The Correctional Service is very critical. We went there twice in a year and we've seen the level of decay in the Correctional Centre here in Kaduna. As a government, we've done a lot in trying to address the infrastructure deficit there and the problems they are facing. Giving them vehicles today would only help them in addressing most of these issues that have to do with transportation and mobility," Sani said.
The governor also commended the Nigerian Medical Association for its collaboration with his administration in improving healthcare delivery across Kaduna State. He described healthcare as a fundamental right of citizens, stressing that the association had continued to support government efforts at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. "The Nigerian Medical Association have done extremely well. In Kaduna, healthcare is very critical, it's very important. We always made it clear to everyone, it's a fundamental right of every citizen," he said. He noted that the provision of a bus to the NMA would enhance the mobility of medical professionals and strengthen the association's operations.
On the Nigerian Bar Association, Governor Sani described the institution as vital in promoting justice, the rule of law, and good governance. He commended the Kaduna branch for its contributions to protecting the rights of underserved and underrepresented citizens, describing it as "one of the most vibrant branches in the whole of Nigeria". The governor also highlighted the reforms undertaken by his administration in collaboration with Kaduna State University and the National Universities Commission to address accreditation challenges. He noted that several faculties and departments had secured accreditation, while the 50 per cent reduction in tuition fees in KASU and other state-owned tertiary institutions was aimed at increasing student enrolment. "When we decided to reduce the tuition fee by 50 per cent in KASU and other state higher institutions in Kaduna State, it's simply because we want to increase the level of enrollment, and I'm happy today that has been achieved," the governor said.
The Chairman of the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, AbdulGafar Alabelewe, who received the vehicle on behalf of journalists, described the delivery as a major milestone, noting that the union had not received a similar gesture from the state government in about two decades. He disclosed that the union had requested the vehicle about six months ago during a Ramadan iftar with the governor. "Today, history is being made because we are not just getting a bus; we are getting a luxury bus, for that matter," Alabelewe said. He explained that the union's previous vehicle had become unserviceable, adding that the new bus would facilitate journalists' movement to assignments across the state. Alabelewe said the media would continue to hold the government accountable while also setting an agenda for development. "This is not because we want to be partisan, but because the media originally was not created to antagonise the government. The media was created to set an agenda for the government, which we have been consistent in doing," he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of Kaduna State University, Professor Abdullahi Musa, described the donation as a historic development for the university. "We wish to sincerely appreciate our very dear Governor, our home Governor, the Governor of the people, for his generosity, his care, for donating a brand-new bus for our university," Musa said. The NMA Kaduna chairman, Dr Hassan Salihu, while receiving the vehicle on behalf of doctors and other healthcare professionals in the state, thanked the governor for the gesture. "On behalf of all doctors and all healthcare professionals in Kaduna State, I want to sincerely appreciate you for this kind gesture. We have seen the commitment in advancing healthcare systems in Kaduna State," Salihu said.
Also, the NBA Kaduna chairman, Baba Lawal, expressed appreciation to the governor, saying the donation would strengthen the branch's operational capacity. "On behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association, Kaduna Branch, I wish to express our profound appreciation to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, for his generous donation of a bus to our branch," Lawal said. The Kaduna State Controller of Corrections, representing the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, thanked the governor for the donation. He said the vehicle would be deployed for the transportation of inmates to courts, health facilities, and other official engagements. "On behalf of the Controller-General of Corrections, the officers and men, and the entire inmates of our custodial centres, I stand before you today with deep joy as we celebrate another milestone of success," he said.
The donation comes as part of Governor Sani's broader efforts to strengthen partnerships with critical institutions in the state. His administration has previously provided 40 official vehicles to judges of the High Court, Shari'ah Court of Appeal, and Customary Court of Appeal, and introduced the Kaduna State Free Bus Service, which has significantly reduced transportation costs for residents, with estimated savings of over N1.39 billion. The gesture has been widely welcomed by the beneficiary organisations, who view it as a testament to the governor's commitment to inclusive governance and his recognition of the vital roles these institutions play in the development of Kaduna State.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments