The Kebbi State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has distributed palliatives comprising a bag of rice and N10,000 cash to each family of 30 deceased members.
The Chairman of the NUJ in the state, Alhaji Bello Abubakar-Sarki, disclosed this on Thursday during the palliatives distribution.
The exercise was organised by the council in Birnin Kebbi.
Abubakar-Sarki said the palliative distribution programme, initiated about 11 years ago, had been sustained by successive NUJ administrations as part of efforts to support members and their families.
He said: “Today, we are distributing palliatives, which include a bag of rice and N10,000 cash each, to about 30 families of our late colleagues.
“This gesture has been made possible through prudent savings and solidarity within the union.”
The chairman expressed appreciation to the Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, for his continued support to working journalists in the state.
He said the governor’s commitment to the welfare of journalists demonstrated his dedication to strengthening the profession.
Abubakar-Sarki added that the council had consistently supported members, particularly those facing 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, where it presented N50,000 and a 50kg 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.
Abubakar-Sarki appealed to the state government to provide the NUJ with a befitting secretariat, considering the fact that ministries had 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
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, A’isha Muhammad-Maikurata, lauded the foresight of the union and donated N200,000 to support the families of the deceased journalists.
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.
“I also thank the union for its support in ensuring that the death benefits of my late husband, Hamza Galadima, were successfully processed and collected,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 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.
