Abdullahi Tukur Birnin Kebbi.
The Kebbi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has distributed palliatives comprising a bag of rice and N10,000 cash each to families of 30 deceased members.
The State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Bello Sarki Abubakar, on Thursday said the palliative distribution programme was initiated about 11 years ago and had been sustained by successive NUJ administrations as part of efforts to support members and their families in the state.
He said the distribution of the palliatives, which include a 50Kg bag of rice and N10,000 cash each to about 30 families of our late colleagues, has been made possible through prudent savings and solidarity within the union.
Comrade Sarki, expressed appreciation to the Kebbi Governor, Nasir Idris, for his continued support to working journalists in the state.
According to him, the governor’s commitment to the welfare of journalists demonstrated his dedication to strengthening the profession.
The Chairman added that, the Council had consistently supporting members particularly those with health challenges or other difficulties.
He recalled that the union recently paid a condolence visit to the family of a late member, Sani Mahuta of Kebbi Radio, who died recently following motor accident where it presented N50,000 and a 50-kilogramme bag of rice as a token of solidarity.
The chairman prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased journalists and urged members to remain committed to the ideals of the profession.
He also disclosed that the council was working towards the training and retraining of journalists in the state with the support of the government, noting that the partnership between the union and the state government had continued to yield positive results.
Comrade Sarki, however, appealed to the state government to provide the NUJ with a befitting secretariat as ministries relocated to the new state secretariat complex.
He commended members of the various chapels for their continued support and cooperation with the council, describing their solidarity as the bedrock of the union’s success.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hajiya Hafsat Hamza Galadima expressed appreciation to the union for the gesture, saying it would go a long way in cushioning some of the challenges faced by their families.
She also thanked the union for its support in ensuring that the death benefits of her late husband, Hamza Galadima, (former Council Chairman) were successfully processed and collected.
The six chapels under the NUJ State Council each received N80,000 and five bags of rice as part of the support distributed during the programme.
